Before the Fire
by Celynata
Summary: Ten years before the rebellion, before the mockingjay, before the girl on fire, it was the 65th Hunger Games with Finnick Odair as one of the tributes, and Mags being his mentor. Find out how he won and what his thoughts were in his very first Games. R&R.
1. The First Reaping

Before the Fire

**A/N: This is the story about Finnick Odair's first Games in the 65****th**** Hunger Games. Please review and tell me if there's anything I can do to make this story better and enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games or Catching Fire! Just making that clear.**

Chapter 1: The First Reaping

I groan inwardly as I toss and turn in my bed. I fall in and out of consciousness as terrible nightmares threaten my dreams. This always happens the day of the Reaping, it's normal for me to act this way. My bronze-colored hair I know is a mess and I'm sweating like a pig. My knuckles are clenched as I grip my sheets of my bed hard. My teeth are gritted and I'm just starting to fall back into my nightmares again until…

"Finnick!"

Thank god for my mother.

My sea-green eyes flash open as to my relief I'm fully awake. My muscles relax and I flop down onto my bed again like a dead fish. I can see daylight stream through the slit in between my blinds and my door is ajar also, letting in the light from the kitchen. I can smell fish cooking on the stove and some herbs mixed in with it.

That's all we ever eat here in District 4-fish. You'd think we'd grow sick of it, but you'll eat anything if you're hungry enough. On good days we can get clams or oysters, sometimes even shrimp but that was only one time back when my father and brother were still alive.

It's only my mom and I living here. We're apart of the poorer region in District 4. Though, I can't really say poor, I guess poor according to District 4. We're much better off than the people in, say, District 11 or 12. Sucks for them, doesn't it?

My father and brother both died in a boat accident years back when I was only seven. I don't really know what went wrong, but it crashed and most of the people were killed. I'm fourteen now, so seven years later and my mother and I are doing fairly well.

I toss my legs over the side of my bed and stand up. On the plus side, at least I get a room to myself. I roll my eyes and think how shallow that is, and I push the thought away. I walk into the hallway in my boxers and undershirt. I don't care, though; my mother is probably the only woman in District 4 who doesn't drool over me. They probably think I don't notice, but I do. I can't say that I dislike it, though.

My mother turns when she hears me come in. She looks a lot like me with bronze colored hair and golden-tan skin. But she says that I share my father's sea-green eyes, the ones that people say are "mesmerizing". Alright, I can work with that.

"Morning Finn'," She says with a smile as she sets down my breakfast.

I think my mother is the only one who can be happy on Reaping Day. Usually I would say "Morning" back, but I'm just too exhausted and worried about the Reaping this year. I think she likes to think that nothing will happen to us, but how can she? Who knows if my name will be picked? I mean, I know I would have a better chance than half the country of Panem and I would probably be with the Careers…but still.

"I made you your favorite," My mother goes on with her perkiness as I sit down, "beer-battered fish fry."

"You didn't have to ma'," I say as I force a piece of fish into my mouth.

"Of course I did!" She said, sliding in the seat just across from me, "you need to look well fed over all those other people for the Reaping."

I can't help but laugh and say, "What, like that'll make a difference? People here have been training their whole lives for it." I roll my eyes and continue eating.

"Well, I don't think you'll get picked, but you want to look presentable," My mother murmurs, then smiles and says, "But that isn't hard for you." She gives my cheek a good-natured slap before standing up.

I just shrug and try to be modest about it. Honestly, though, I'm proud of my good looks. Who wouldn't? Call me shallow, but I don't mind the girls looking at me. But, it's not like I would go out with any of them, why would I? I'm not a pig; I don't date girls just for the fun of it.

"Now hurry up," My mother shoves me out of my chair just after I finish eating, "And get dressed. The Reaping will start soon."

"Yeah, yeah," I mutter, waving my hand dismissively as I walk back into my bedroom.

I change into a nice green shirt that, according to my mother, "brings out my eyes". I put on some black pants and comb my blond-bronze hair. Finally after looking awhile in the mirror, I head outside. My mother is waiting and she smiles as she sees me.

"You clean up good, Hun'!" She exclaims and then says, "Come on, let's go."

I nod and follow her outside. It's a bit of a walk to the square from our house, but that's ok. I rather like where our house is, it's right in front of a river that winds through District 4. It's a beautiful view in the morning, but I barely ever wake up early except to go to school. Even then I'm like dead-asleep.

Finally, though, we reach the square. We sign in and my mother stays with the other people of District 4 as I go over to the line of 14 year olds. My mother will chat to a mere stranger, as will I, but she always has a perkiness I never had. She always finds the bright side to things, even after my brother and father died.

Finally, Mayor William Greene addresses us. He starts talking about the Dark Days and all that other stuff that happened. I eventually tune him out and look around my surroundings. I see a large group of victors standing on stage. I can't place half the names, but I know that two of them will be training us this year. Those two are in the front. One of them is a very elderly woman who looks about 70 years old. I think her name is Mags. And then the other is another woman. She has jet-black hair and hard blue eyes. Her name is Ebony, I know, who won about twenty years ago. I wonder why they gave us such old victors instead of the younger ones, but at least they'll be a bit wiser than the others.

Finally, a new person comes up. It's Julius, a man with tanned skin and deep blue eyes. He has wavy brown hair with golden highlights-obviously a Capitol trend. His voice has the thick accent of the Capitol that always makes me cringe. I mean, really, do these people hear how they sound to us?

"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!" He exclaims.

I roll my sea-green eyes at his perkiness, and I just wish he would get on with it.

"Ladies first!" He crows as he reaches in his hand into the girls' bowl. He reaches out his hand with a small slip of paper and goes back to the microphone and says, "Topaz Greene!"

There's a murmur of surprise that runs through the crowd as the name becomes familiar. Topaz Greene is the mayor's daughter, she was a bit older than me at age 17. She has long, flowing golden hair and warm brown eyes. She has slightly tanned skin and you can see the shock and grief in both hers and her father's eyes. But they both soon recover and the Mayor tries to look pleased and proud as Topaz makes her way to the stage.

"Well, well!" Julius purrs, smiling, "You're the mayor's daughter, aren't you? Well, I'm sure you have an excellent chance of winning."

She just nods and murmurs, "Thank you," Before stepping back.

"Now the gentleman!" Julius skips over to the bowl and quickly over. My heart pounds in my chest and I just hope that it's not me, not me, not me. But it looks like the odds are not in my favor today.

"Finnick Odair!"

_Shit!_

I feel like I'm going to faint and I hear my mother give out a desperate wail. My hands are shaking as I make my way through the crowd. I try to put my features as expressionless, but I can't hide my horror and despair. I finally make it to the stage to shake Julius' hand.

"My, you're a handsome one aren't you?" He smiles at me, "Looks like we have two fine tributes going this year!"

The crowd gives a good-hearted clap as I turn to shake Topaz's hand. She's staring at me oddly as she looks into my sea-green eyes. I want to smile or do something, but I'm just so horrified all I can do is shake her hand. Her expressions become hard once again as we turn to face the audience.

After that we are ushered by Peacekeepers into separate rooms. I'm pushed into a blue room with all plush. I collapse down on the sofa nearby. Already I'm making my strategy. I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to pout, I'm not going to wallow in self-pity, I'm going to fight and I'm going to win the crown as victor. I'm determined to come back home.

My mother soon rushes in and collapse in my arms. She cries on my shoulder and I don't say anything at first, I just let her cry. Finally she leans back, sniffling and trying to keep a smile on her face.

"You're going to do great," She murmurs, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear, "You're going to be the victor, I know it. You're strong, just like your father and brother."

I nod, determined, and say, "I'm going to come back, Mom. Don't worry, I'm not leaving you alone."

She just smiles sadly at me and murmurs, "I think you're right."

I just hug her and murmur, "Before you know it, they'll be crowning me victor of the 65th Hunger Games."


	2. The Beginning

Chapter 2: The Beginning

I told myself I wasn't going to cry, wasn't going to pout, wasn't going to wallow in self pity, but that doesn't seem to be working out very well. I cross my arms in frustration as I feel the tears stream down my face. I'm lying on my bed in the train, waiting for someone to tell me dinner's ready and just letting the tears slide down.

I deserve some time to be sad, don't I? I mean, I'm going out there and I'm probably going to kill a bunch of kids and maybe get myself killed in the process. I deserve to be sad. Right?

I suddenly jump when I hear a knock at my door and hear Julius call, "Finnick, dinner's ready!"

I eat like a horse, but I suddenly don't feel hungry.

But I get up anyways. I wipe away the tears and run to my bathroom, splashing some water on my face. I don't want anyone knowing I was crying. After that I walk out of my room and try to appear normal, almost nonchalant as I enter the dinning room.

Topaz is already there, eating some chicken while Mags and Ebony, our mentors, are sitting down also. Mags is popping one of the nuts in her mouth and I have no idea how the hell she eats with no teeth, while Ebony chews on one of the chicken legs. I sit down and take a fair share of it, the warm aromas of the food bringing back my appetite.

After we eat, Ebony begins.

"So, first off you need to decide of you want to train together or separately," She leans back in her chair and watches both of us with those dark eyes.

"Separately," Topaz says before I can even say anything.

"Fine, I can mentor you, Topaz, and Finnick you can have Mags," Ebony decides.

Mags says something, but I can't even understand it. I think I heard the word 'pretty' but I don't even have a clue.

Ebony rolls her eyes and says, "Please, Mags, I'm sure he has some other qualities then just his looks."

_Wow, thanks, _I think sarcastically.

Mags just mutters something about "He better" or "I hope so" or something along those lines. I guess I better get used to her speech if she's going to mentor me.

"Can you do anything?" Mags then asks, or at least I think that's what she asks.

"I'm good with a harpoon," Topaz says, "and I have good aim."

"There probably won't be many harpoons there," Ebony says, "So go for some spears. What about you?" She turns her dark gaze to me.

"I'm handy with a trident," I say as I turn my knife around in my hand.

"Tridents?" Mags repeats, her garble language getting a bit better, "None of those in the arena."

"Obviously," Ebony mutters, "just get your hands on a sword and you'll do fine."

"Alright," I shrug my shoulders as if I couldn't care less.

"And go with the Careers," Ebony adds, "That's the only way you'll live."

"Fine by me," I say with another shrug. I grab a handful of the nuts that Mags is eating and start popping them in my mouth.

"Now go," Ebony waves her hand dismissively, "We need to talk."

Topaz gets up and immediately gets out of the room. Curious, I follow her.

"You know," I say as I catch up to her, "You're a very cold person, you should warm up a bit."

"I don't want to," She says, not looking at me, "I don't want to get attached to people I'll have to kill."

"Lonely life then, huh?" I say as I pop another nut in my mouth.

Topaz starts walking faster as she says, "And one of those people are you, so if you wouldn't mind I would like to be left alone."

"I do mind actually," When we reach to her room, I lean on the doorway just outside of it, "and it's funny how you haven't been able to look at me since the Reaping."

Topaz brings her brown gaze to meet my sea-green. They're unreadable and somewhat cold as she crosses her arms and leans to one side.

I smile a bit as I say, "See? Look how better that is."

"Look," She steps forward so that we're just mere centimeters apart, "I'm not one of those girls who just fall head over heels because of your good looks. I'm going to win this thing, so don't be surprised if you find a knife in your back."

I lean forward a bit, testing her to see what she would do. My lips are just a little ways away from hers and I can feel her breath on my skin. I smile a bit, noticing that she doesn't flinch from this closeness.

"Oh yeah? Well maybe you better watch out also," I say slowly, "we'll be on the same team for a while, but if you take a swing at me, I'll be ready."

She tilts her head up so that her lips are just barely brushing mine and our skin is touching. I nearly flinch away, but I tell myself to hold my ground.

"Two can play at this game, Mr. Odair," She hisses, "and I'm not the least bit scared."

She leans back and smiles ruefully at me. I can feel the heat rise in my face and I know she can see me blush. Totally not smooth.

"Goodnight, Finnick," She says coolly before entering her room and shutting the door.

"Damn," I mutter, trying to pull myself together again.

That was really the first time I have ever done…_that_ and I have to say, it's not very enjoyable. I just wish I was back home with my mother and after school I would go out on the boats and fish. I ache for that feel of wind brushing through me and the taste of fish in my mouth. Was it possible that I had been there today and now I was heading to the Capitol?

I groan and close my eyes, just wishing that for once, I was home. I didn't want to be here, I didn't want to kill innocent people, I didn't want people automatically taking me as a Career and saying I'm like the rest of them. I don't want to kill, I don't want to be here. I want my life back.

I suddenly realize that I'm crying again, so I rush off to my room and slam the door shut. I groan and collapse on my bed. I know what Topaz thinks of me, I know what a lot of people think of me. They think I'm just a pretty boy who dates girls all the time, but never sticks around. But that's _not _me! Why can't they see that? I'm just a regular guy, trying to protect his family. I've never even had a girlfriend!

I slam my fist against the mattress, making it shake underneath me. Sometimes I wish I wasn't myself. Sometimes I wish I didn't have people judging me all the time and thinking that I just date a bunch of girls. Sometimes I wish I was just a normal guy who wasn't going to compete in the Hunger Games. Wow, the odds are really not in my favor, are they?

I have no idea when this happens, but I hear a knock on my door and Mags comes in. I don't try to hide that I'm crying because for some reason, I feel like I can be myself around my mentor. She sits at the end of my bed and doesn't say anything for a bit.

Finally, she says, "Even if you win, it will get worse."

Or at least, that's what I _think _she said.

"How?" I ask, my voice rough and scratchy, "how can it get any worse."

"The nightmares," She explains with a slight shrug, "and the mentoring."

I frown, knowing that she probably is right. If I win, I'll have to mentor kids who might not come out alive. I mean, since I'm in District 4 I have a better chance than others for getting my tributes to win, but still some will die. Now I really wish I wasn't me anymore.

"How have you dealt with it for so long, then?" I ask.

Mags smiles a bit and says what I think is, "Magic."

I can't help but laugh at that, and now I'm a bit happier that Mags is my mentor instead of Ebony. She's nice to talk to, even if you can't understand her half the time, and I feel like I can be myself. The _real _Finnick Odair.

"Thanks Mags, I'll be sure to let the others know of your secret," I joke.

She just smiles and mumbles something along the lines of, "It wouldn't be a secret then."

I laugh again and murmur, "I guess you're right." I pause and then say, "Thanks Mags, you've really cheered me up."

Mags just shrugs her shoulders again and says, "All in a days work."

I smile and then say, "What's on the schedule for tomorrow?"

"Introduction Ceremonies," Mags says, "You'll wear something hideous for sure."

"Thanks for the encouragement," I say sarcastically, but half joking also.

"You're welcome," She says as she stands up, grabbing her cane.

"You need help?" I ask, starting to sit up.

But she waves me off and mumbles something about how she didn't need help in her Games she wouldn't need help now. I just nod and lean back, but I'm prepared if she falls or something.

"Goodnight," She says before limping out.

"Good night, Mags," I say and quieter I murmur, "thanks for everything."

**A/N: Yeah, I know, not a very interesting chapter, but it'll get better as the chapters continue. Please review!**


	3. The Ceremony

Chapter 3: The Ceremony

I grit my teeth together as I try my best not to snap at my designers. They're peppy, useless talk rung in my ears and I wish I could make them just shut up. I can't believe people in the Capitol actually worry about things like how their tattoos didn't come out right or how horrible a party was. I remember when I was only 7 years old and I was worried about how I was going to live on without my father and brother. It makes me sick.

"Finally we have a tribute that has good looks!" Exclaims one of the designers, Olive, I think. "It's so much easier too!"

She starts rubbing this cream on my face, and I let out a gasp as I feel it sting. I really hate these people.

"Sorry, darling!" Ailis, another designer, apologizes, "This will just make it so that the facial hair doesn't grow back in the arena!"

_Yeah, like I'll be worrying about that in the arena, _I think.

Ailis continues rubbing the cream on, and I try my best not to punch her. I would never hurt a woman (though I may have to make exceptions if they're trying to kill me) but Ailis and Olive are getting on my nerves. The other designer, Tamaki, is doing something with my hair. He's not cutting it, just rubbing some sort of goo into it. I don't like this shit.

"I wonder what Aurora has planned for your outfit?" Tamaki wonders, "She could do so many things with District 4."

"You mean she hasn't told you?" I say, surprised she hasn't consulted in her team.

"She usually doesn't," Ailis said. "She'll tell us what to do with you, but the outfit we never see until you're in it."

"I have a feeling it has some green in it," Olive says. "To match your eyes."

I try my best not to roll my eyes at this, so I just shrug. Honestly, I have not a clue what this Aurora person will do, but I just hope I'm not dressed up as a fish. Or seaweed for that matter.

I hear the door open and a woman comes in. She has pale skin with long, luscious golden hair. Her eyes have a warm golden-brown look to them and she has some permanent eye shadow to match it. She's dressed in nice black pants and a flowing orange shirt. She looks at me with a speculating gaze as she walks around. This must be Aurora.

"Stand up and strip the robe," She orders me, her hand on her chin.

I raise my eyebrows, but do as she says. I suddenly feel very uncomfortable with their eyes all on my naked body. What do they need me naked for anyways? Can't I at least be wearing some shorts?

Thankfully, though, Aurora waves her hands and Olive gives me my robe. They're all smiling, though, and I roll my eyes as I slip it back on, feeling less vulnerable as I did before. Aurora nods to them and all three of them walk out, just leaving me and her. She stares at me for a little bit before she motions me to sit down.

"You have a good look," She begins seriously, taking a chair to sit down in front of me, "which means the more attractive you are the more sponsors you're able to get."

"No offence," I say, "But that's horribly shallow."

She chuckles quietly and murmurs, "Yes, it seems so, but that's how the people here think. They are shallow, so we have to serve it to them."

"So…what are you planning?" 

"You'll see," She smiles a bit, "but don't worry, it won't be embarrassing."

"Thank god," I mutter.

Aurora laughs again and says simply, "Just expect something green."

Well, it was green alright. And as I stand in front of my mirror, wearing my outfit, I can't say I'm too happy about it. It's good, don't get me wrong, but I feel so…sparkly. Ugh.

I'm dressed in a jumpsuit that is green, like the shade of my eyes (no shock there). But whenever I move, it flashes and sparkles like how fish do in water. On my forearms and going along my spine are fins. They're elegant and show superiority, but I hate them. I feel mutant.

"Well?" Aurora asks me, "How is it?"

"It's…" I can't say that I don't like it, so I just say, "It's great."

She smiles a bit at me, as if knowing I'm lying to her, but she doesn't question me. She leads me out of my room and into the hallway. Topaz is waiting there in the same design I do, except her costume is golden. I wish I had gotten golden, instead of green.

She eyes me and says, "Someone was going for physical looks."

I look down and notice that the jumpsuit is so tight that it shows every curve of my body. Not to mention my six-pack (which I'm proud to say I have). I sigh and shrug, I wasn't really caring about that, because I mostly look like an alien.

"Ready?" Mags asks me, and I just barely understand her.

"Yeah," I say.

"Smile and wave," Ebony tells us, "And don't be afraid to show off."

They push us both into the elevator, and there's a couple seconds of awkward silence before the doors open. We step out and notice that we're one of the lasts to arrive, and I see our carriage idling by the rest of the Careers. They're talking and flaunting, unlike the rest of the people who are just standing around, silent.

Topaz doesn't even look at me as she heads over to our horses and carriage. I follow her, noting that the horses are a soft golden while the carriage is blue, representing the sea. I sit down on one of the steps and stretch out my legs, leaning back on the door. Topaz gives me a frustrated look, as if she was planning on going up there, but she doesn't say anything.

Suddenly, the people from Districts One and Two come over. I recognize one, Aidan from District One, from when I watched the other Reapings. He's large with a stocky build and long, wavy brown hair. His brown eyes flash when he comes towards as, a cocky grin on his face.

Next to him is his tribute partner. I don't know her name, but she's stunning with bright green eyes and short, soft red hair. She's very attractive, I say that much, and she looks to be about 18 years old. She crosses her arms as she sees us, a frown on her face.

The District Two people are the same. The boy is actually small, but looks very strong. His muscles ripple under a tight custom and he flips his blond hair. Next to him is his tribute partner, who I don't know the name of also. She has dark brown eyes and very dark brown hair, almost black like Ebony's. She has a serious and dark look to her that would make anyone shiver under her intense gaze.

"So you're the District Four Tributes," Aidan says, giving us a good look, obviously seeing if we're worth his time, "I'm Aidan." He gives out his hand to shake.

Topaz shakes his first as I stand up. "I'm Topaz," She says, her voice slightly cold, "And this is Finnick."

I grit my teeth together in frustration; I am perfectly capable of introducing myself. But I shake his hand and nod to him, before releasing from his grip.

"I'm Cara," the District One girl tribute says.

"I'm Flint, and this is Gemini," the District Two boy tribute says, nodding to his partner Gemini.

"Nice to meet you," I say flatly, leaning back on the carriage.

"How old are you?" Gemini asks, her dark gaze narrowing.

"I'm 17," Topaz says.

And before she can say what I am, I say, "And I'm 14."

"14, huh? A little young," Gemini mutters, giving me a look.

"But perfectly capable of winning," I growl, crossing my arms and giving her a look back.

Aidan laughs and says, "Nice. Well, we better head over to our carriages. See you in training."

They walk away while Topaz gives me an annoyed look.

"What?" I snap, frustrated.

"Couldn't you have lied about your age? Then you wouldn't make us seem so weak and vulnerable," She growls at me.

"They would've figured it out anyways," I wave my hand as I climb up into the carriage, "do I look 16 to you?"

"Obviously not, but they could believe that you grow late."

"It doesn't matter," I say, "let's just get this thing over with."

She mutters something inaudible as she climbs up next to me. She gives me good enough space, obviously upset with me. But I don't care, she'll die anyways, all of them will, if I am able to come home. The doors open and the District One carriage pulls out, then two, and then three.

When it's our turn, I start getting nervous, but I do as Mags and Ebony told us. As we pull out, I flash a winning, attractive grin. I can see more than half the women in the audience faint. I try my best not to laugh as I try to look as sexy as possible. When you need sponsors, you'll go to any extent.

We pull around the loop and we stop in front of President Snow's mansion. He comes out with a smile on his face. He looks too pale with pure white hair. He has a rose in his shirt pocket and he goes up to the stand as he begins to talk. I ignore him as he starts talking, because I bet everything he says is just a load of crap.

When he finally stops, there's a large cheer and we pull out. I'm thankful once the doors are shut and I can relieve myself of that stupid grin I've had to keep on my face all the time. I sigh and jump out after Topaz, landing on the ground solidly. Mags and Ebony come over, looking pleased.

"You did well," Mags tells me, and I finally understand her this time.

Topaz gives Mags a confused look, obviously not understanding what she said. She hasn't been around Mags as much as I have because she's my mentor, of course she can't understand her.

"Now let's get you out of these ridiculous outfits and go upstairs," Ebony says, making a face at our wardrobe. "Who knows how these designers get their ideas."

Mags just gives a slight shrug as she hobbles towards the elevator. I'm really surprised in Mags, by how long she has lived and for how long she has mentored children. If I mentored people for that long, I would go insane. Either that or become like the District 12 mentor, Haymitch, or the District 11 mentor, Chaff, who always drink. Either that or turn to drugs like morphling.

We head into the elevator and I go into my room to change. I put on a regular t-shirt and pants as I head into the main room to watch the ceremony. Julius talks about how wonderful we look and Ebony and Topaz both give him looks like he's crazy. We laugh a little at the other costumes, like how District 9 is dressed up as animals and District 12 is starched naked, covered in coal. I guess we weren't the worst out of all of them.

Once they're done, Mags turns off the TV and says, "Off to bed?"

"What?" Topaz asks.

"Bed," I tell her, "We need the rest anyways."

"We'll wake you up at 9 so that you can eat. By 10 you have to be in the Training Center," Ebony tells us. 

"Alright, Ebony. 'Night everyone," I say as I get up and walk to my room.

Topaz heads into her room without saying a word to me as I head into mine. I shut the door and collapse on my bed, exhausted. It finally hits me that these people we had just been laughing at because of their costumes, they may never come back. Only one can, will that be me? Will all these other people die for my life? Or will I die for someone else?

_Will this room be empty at the end? Or will I be in it? Who will die because of me? And how the hell am I supposed to win?_


	4. Time for Training

Chapter 4: Time for Training

"Get the hell up!" Screams Ebony, trying to drag me out.

"It's too early…" I groan, staying on the bed and covering my face with my pillow.

"You need to get ready for training!" Ebony snaps at me, giving my arm a sharp tug.

"Ow! Watch it!" I snap, "You're going to pull it out of my joint!"

"That's the point!" She hisses at me.

I slap her with my pillow and fall back down on the bed.

"Mags!" Ebony called, "Get your worthless Tribute out of the god damn bed!"

She marches out and I smile a bit to myself. I'm just about to fall back into sleep when I feel a sharp pain pierce my back. I jump and shout, seeing Mags standing over me with her cane. She slaps me again with her cane and I shout again.

"Ow! _Ow!_" She hits me with the cane again, "Stop it!"

"Get up!" She tells me, her garble language becoming clearer and clearer to me every day now.

When I hesitate, she hits the cane against me again and I jump out of the bed. "Ok! Ok! I'm up!"

She smiles and sets the cane down, leaning on it for support. "That's more like it," She tells me, "Now get changed and meet us for breakfast."

She hobbles out as I mutter something unintelligible. I walk over to my dresser, rubbing my back and seeing a clean pair of pants and a t-shirt laid out for me. I dress quickly, brush my hair, and rush out. When I reach the dinning room, Ebony gives me a glare while Topaz and Mags are already eating.

"Finally," Ebony mutters as I sit down and begin to eat.

"Whatever," I mutter back as I shove food down my throat.

Topaz looks at me, disgusted.

"What?" I ask through a mouthful of food. I see Julius shiver.

"How are you eating _that_?" She points down to my food.

I look down and shrug. I have eggs and pancakes both covered in chocolate syrup and drizzled in chocolate chips. Then my potatoes have a bit of the syrup on them but are mostly drowned in ketchup. I dip my bread into my chocolate milk and shrug. It tastes wonderful to me.

"Magic, baby," I tell her, "Magic."

She glares at me and turns back to her food. I laugh and continue eating as Ebony makes a face at what I'm eating also but turns back to her own food. While we're eating, Mags begins to explain what we're doing. Topaz barely understands her though.

"Stay with the Careers," She tells us, "They're not the nicest of people but they'll keep you alive for a little while."

"Wait, what?" Topaz asks, shaking her head.

"Stay with the Careers," I tell her.

Mags continues, "The best thing to do in the arena is to stay with them, but when you feel they're about to turn on you, run for it."

"Again, what?" Topaz asks.

I sigh and explain, "Stay with the Careers in the arena also, but if you feel like they're about to turn on you, run."

Mags nods to me and then says, "But in training, just stick with them. Finnick, you start using spears and swords, I don't think they'll be having tridents in the arena. But save the Trident work for the judging."

I nod and say, "Alright, Mags."

"Topaz, you work on the spears too, but instead of swords try yourself with a bow and arrow."

"What?"

"Work on spears and swords," I say slowly, pronouncing each slowly.

She glares at me and slaps me with her napkin. I laugh and lean back in my chair, fully enjoying pissing her off. She's amusing when she's angry.

"What about the other stuff though?" Topaz asks, "Like the other stuff, instead of the weapons."

"Work on that on the last day, fresh in your mind," She taps her head and smiles.

I'm about ready to explain it to Topaz, but it seems that she got the jest of it. She nods slowly and leans back in her chair. I pop in another piece of bread covered in chocolate milk. Julius grimaces, but doesn't say anything. Ebony makes a point to roll her eyes at me and Topaz ignores me completely. Mags doesn't seem to mind though, she's actually trying it out herself.

Again, I start to feel that Mags is the only person I can be myself with. I sigh and slump down in my chair, not feeling so hungry anymore. Finally, Mags and Ebony dismiss us and we walk to the elevator. We shoot down and end up in the training center. Someone pins a piece of paper with the number 4 on it.

Topaz and I walk over to the rest of the Careers who are talking. The other Tributes just glance over at us, feeling awkward as they stand next to their Tribute partner. Before I know it, some woman comes up and explains the stations. I'm itching to get my hands on a trident though, but I remember what Mags said. Save it for the judging.

"Let's see what we've got," Aidan says as he walks over to the swords.

I join him, and take one in my hand. I start practicing it with a dummy, feeling good with it but not as good as I feel with a trident. Topaz is working on the bow and arrow station and she's doing remarkably well, she has good aim. Cara comes up next to me and grabs a long, sharp knife. She backs up a couple of yards and then chucks it at the dummy. It goes right into its heart.

_Damn. _

I see Gemini handling a spear. She's using it as defense while battling someone, but then chucks it at the person, or dummy. Smart, I should keep that in mind with my trident. Her tribute partner, Flint, is helping Topaz out with the bow and arrows station. I wonder why, she could be his next enemy. Well, we'll find out won't we?

I get sick of weapons, so I ignore what Mags told me to do and say, "I'm gonna go over to the other stations."

The others nod as I walk off. I go to the traps and snares station. It's remarkably easy after spending so much time making nets. I got bored and just made my own types of snares. A girl beside me watches me do it, her golden eyes, the color of lilies, glued on my hands. She looks to be about 13 or 14, so around my age.

"Wow, how did you do that?" She asks me.

I stare at her, a bit wary of telling her, but I just simply explain it, going through the steps one by one. She messes up a couple of times, but I correct her and she goes on. She does well for her first time.

"Thanks," She murmurs, "I was wondering how you did that."

I just smile a bit and say, "No problem. I'm used to making up my own snares and traps by making so many nets in District 4."

She nods and says, "You're Finnick Odair, right?"

I nod, "I'm sorry, but I don't know your name." I laugh weakly.

"It's ok," She shrugs it off, "My name's Lily. I'm from District 11."

_Because her eyes look like lilies._

"Nice to meet you," I say, "What's it like back in District 11?"

She hesitates, but finally says, "It's tough. Every day after school I have to go over to the Plantations to work because my family is so poor. It's only me and my parents, but my mother is pregnant and it was already demanding trying to feed the three of us."

"Can't you just pick berries?" I ask, "I mean, I'm sure there must be a bunch. And since you are Agriculture, I figured you guys never went hungry."

Her eyes widened and she shook her head, "We can't take the food we harvest, you get killed for that. And I do pick berries, in a meadow by my house. But it's harder in the winter, since not as many plants grow. There's few to begin with."

"Oh," I say, "it sounds tough there."

Lily nods, "It is, that's why I'm determined to win, so that my family will never go hungry again, so that my new sibling will live a life not knowing the pain of hunger and desperation."

I gulp and I suddenly feel angry. Angry that the Capitol is making us do this, and that we have to kill to ensure a life of luxury back at home. Lily and her family is suffering, and then the Capitol sends her into the Games. How cruel can you get?

"It's not as bad in District 4," I say, trying to change the subject, "It's just my mom and I back at home, my father and brother died in a boat accident 7 years ago. We're one of the poorer people in District 4, but it's not as bad as you have it. I'm able to fish in the streams or the river just by our house. The sea is a little far from where we live, but I can always take a day off from work and go there."

"What's your work like?" Lily asks.

"I work on a boat and fish and make nets basically," I say, "It's nice and calming, I always enjoyed the water."

"It sounds like a better place," She murmurs.

"It's not as great as it sounds, I don't usually have time to enjoy it," I sigh, "they make us work so many long hours it's ridiculous. I get home exhausted and then do my homework quick before collapsing in my bed. It's basically the same routine; sleep, eat, school, work, homework, eat, sleep, and begin the whole cycle again." I shrug my shoulders.

"I'm sure you have sometime off," Lily says.

"Oh yeah, on the weekends," I nod, "I love the weekends. Then I can really enjoy the water."

"That's nice," Lily murmurs.

Then the bell rings and I say a quick goodbye to Lily before following the other Careers to lunch. But all the time, I wonder what all these people have been through, and I wonder who the people I will end up killing in the end.


	5. Scores and Interviews

Chapter 5: Scores and Interviews

We all waited nervously (or at least I wait nervously) before our name are called for the Private Scoring. I sit with the Careers, mostly ignoring them as I look around. I sort of wish I wasn't a Career, because everyone seems to glare at us and accuse us already of the murders we will commit.

Aidan goes up first once his name is called. After about ten minutes, Cara follows. Then Flint goes and when Gemini goes up, I start to get nervous. Topaz looks at me, half-amused, and half-disbelief.

"Are you really nervous?" She asks me.

I look at her and say, "Aren't you?"

"A little," She shrugs her shoulders, "But honestly, we're Careers, our scores will be good anyways."

"You don't know that," I argue.

"Oh stop worrying," She leans back in her chair, "I'm sure you'll do fine."

"Was that a nice comment?" I ask, shocked.

"Maybe," She says.

Finally, my name is called. I get up and walk into the room. The Gamemakers are still sober, but it seems like they're starting to get a bit drunk. But their attention is trained on me as I walk over to the Tridents. I drag a bunch of dummies all in a row before throwing it at them. The trident goes through them and then pins them against the wall.

The Gamemakers seem impressed, so then I work a little with my trident before moving on to spears and swords. I chuck the spears with good precision and then behead a dummy with one of my swords. When they tell me my time is up, I nod, drop my weapons, and walk out.

I head up to floor 4, feeling satisfied. It was quick and easy and they seemed impressed. With a bit of a smile, I walk out and go into the main room. Mags, Ebony, Aurora and Julius are all waiting there for me.

"How was it?" Mags ask me.

"I hope you did well, you need good scores for Careers," Julius murmurs.

"I did fine," I shrug as I sit down on the couch, "Threw some tridents, worked with the spears and swords, you know the regular stuff. They seemed impressed."

"That's good," Aurora murmurs, "Let's just hope that Topaz did well too."

Topaz comes over quickly. She's smiling a bit, but panting also. What, did she run all the way up here or something?

"Well?" Ebony asks as Topaz sits next to me.

"I worked with the spears," She said, "and the bow and arrows."

"So why are you _panting_?" I ask.

"Because I used some of the explosions too," She explains, "The guy from District 3, Devan I think, taught me how to use some. So I had to run around getting it ready before throwing my spear to set it off."

"Smart," Ebony smiles, obviously proud that her tribute probably did better than Mags', "You'll get a good score for sure."

Topaz nods as she leans back on the couch. I lean back also and take some water an Avox Boy gives us. Then I start eating some brownies I had sent in and settle down to watch the scores.

Aidan's score comes up first. He got an 11, which isn't surprising. Then Cara got a 10 and Flint and Gemini both got 9's. The District 3 tributes both get 7's. Finally my picture comes up with a flashing 10 underneath it.

"A 10?" I gasp, my jaw hanging open.

"I knew you could do it!" Mags exclaims, patting my back with her hand.

Then Topaz's score comes up and I nearly choke on my brownie. She got an 11.

"Holy shit!" She gasps, her eyes wide.

Ebony beams and says, "You did excellent!"

"They both did!" Julius exclaims, "I think they deserve some partying!"

Well, it was sort of a party. It counted me, Topaz, Mags, Ebony, Aurora, Julius, and Topaz's designer, Kimi. We had tons of food and drinks, and talked a bunch. We saw the other scores too. Lily got an 8, which was pretty good. Afterwards, though, they sent us to bed.

"You need to be fully rested for your interviews tomorrow!" Julius told us, shoving us into our rooms and locking the doors.

I fall asleep quickly, tired out by everything I did today. When I wake up, my prep team is already there, getting things ready. They dress me in a very nice and silky green shirt and black pants. They give me a black jacket and I button it before they do my hair. They let it be normal and don't put much of the goop in it, thank god.

They finally give me some nice black shoes before sending me to Mags. I wonder why I had to get ready so early, but Mags explains it pretty well. She has me walk and teaches me where to put my hands when saying different phrases. She tries me out as sexy, flirty, attractive, and tough.

"Go with flirty," She says finally, "you're still too young to go for sexy."

I laugh because I never thought that a 70 year old woman would ever say the word 'sexy'. But she doesn't seem to mind as she preps me for whatever Caesar might ask me. After a long time of training, she let's me eat and I meet up with Topaz.

Topaz is stunning in an elegant golden dress that falls to the floor. She sparkles with every movement and her golden dress has waves of white circling around it. Her hair is slightly curled and tied back a bit before falling down on her back. She's absolutely stunning.

"Nice dress," I comment.

"Thanks," She gives me a bit of a smile, "You look good too."

I laugh and say, "Thank god, and I was worried the Great Topaz Greene wouldn't approve."

She just rolls her eyes as we're lead to the back stage. All of the other Tributes are there and we're lined up by District. Topaz is in front of me while the girl from District 5 is behind me. I hear Caesar Flickerman readying up the crowd before he introduces us. The Tributes of the 65th Hunger Games; I just barely wonder if he feels guilty that he talks and gets to know all of us and that only one of us will come out alive.

When I make it up on stage, people hoot and holler and I flush a little before sitting down beside Topaz. My mouth goes dry and I hope I can still talk when I get up there. Aidan goes up first, acting cocky and tough. Then Cara. She's old enough to go with the sexy act. Then goes up Flint who seems sly. Then Gemini goes up, acting mysterious and dark.

Then the people from District Three come up. Devan and Citrine I think their names are. Devan is very serious, but very intelligent. His language is mostly made up of long, complicated words. I bet half the audience didn't get what he was saying; hell, _I _didn't even know what he was saying.

When Citrine goes up, she's shy and quiet. But one comment really sticks with me.

"What's your best weapon?" Caesar asks.

Citrine smiles a bit and says mysteriously, "Anything with a spark."

That could mean a million things.

When Topaz walks up, she seems prideful in a different way I have seen her. She sits down and Caesar asks her a couple of questions.

"So Topaz," He begins, "Is it true that you're the Mayor's daughter in your District?"

"Yes," She smiles a bit, "as you can imagine, my father was very proud I entered the Hunger Games."

Ha, yeah right.

"I'm sure he was!" Caesar exclaims, "What's it like back in District 4?"

"It's nice, and I get to swim a lot, as you can imagine," She winks at the audience and they laugh.

Caesar laughs along with them and then asks, "So, what are you planning when you go into the arena?"

Topaz thinks for a bit before saying, "Bring on a good show," She flashes a sly smile at the audience. Now she's really got them going.

It goes on like this for a while, up until when Caesar asks an interesting question.

"So, Topaz," He says, "Is it true that you have a special little someone back at home?"

Topaz hesitates, and then says, "I did. We broke up about a month ago."

"Why's that?"

Topaz bites her lip, obviously uncomfortable and her act is starting to go south, but then she says, "Because I got pregnant and then gave the baby up for adoption."

There's a stunned silence and then murmurs of consent from women in the audience. Even Caesar looks shocked and Topaz is blushing a bright red color. My mouth is hanging open and I quickly close it, but the words are still bouncing around in my head. Topaz was pregnant?

"That's very unfortunate," Caesars says, and just in time the buzzer goes off and Topaz goes back to her seat.

I get up next and walk over to Caesar. People start whispering and staring at me as I shake Caesar's hand and sit down.

"Well, you're a handsome young man aren't you?" He murmurs, smiling, "Do you happen to have a young lady back at home?"

I smile crookedly and say, "No, but there's someone I'm interested in." I wink at the audience and half of them faint. Wow.

"And who is this special someone?" Caesar asks me, leaning forward, obviously interested in knowing who my feelings are for someone. I really don't know myself, but Mags said that if I got people believing I had feelings for them (Because they're just that shallow) they'd definitely sponsor me.

"Sorry," I smile. "Can't tell."

People "Aw" in the audience while Caesar just laughs.

"Alright, if you won't," He shrugs as if he tried his best, "We'll go onto the next question then. I hear you got a pretty high score in training, yes?"

"Yeah, a 10," I laugh, "Don't know how I pulled that one off, but a couple of quick smiles will get you anything."

The audience laughs and I laugh along with them. But honestly, I want to puke at what I just said. I sound so shallow, it's really depressing.

"So how's your family?" Caesar then asks, "Got any brothers or sisters?"

"I did," I say, wishing he hadn't asked this question because it isn't helping my act, "My brother and father died in a boating accident 7 years ago. It's just me and my mom now." I hear some sighs of sympathy so I say, "My mom is probably the happiest person on the planet, I bet she's just bouncing up and down with excitement because I'm on TV," I laugh.

The audience laughs with me and I bet my mom will start doing it now because I have mentioned her. I suddenly start missing her so much I feel like I'm going to cry. But thankfully, the buzzer goes off and I walk back to my seat.

The other people go up next. I practically drown out most of the other people. But when the boy Tribute from District 8 goes up, I snap back my attention. He acts sly, almost like a cat, but he looks strong also, like a wolf. When Caesar asked him what he was interested in, he simply said:

"You'll find out," With a bit of a smile.

Then when District 11 comes up, I listen to what Lily says. She acts friendly but with a touch of mystery. She acts like one of those people who seem nice but there's a hidden message behind everything they say. Then her District partner, Thorn, goes up. He seems bored and just answers dully. Caesar asked him if he was excited for the Games, and Thorn said:

"Oh yeah," He nods, "finally I get some good action in my life."

After that, I tune out the District 12 people who always seem to be wimpy. They haven't won in years, ever since Haymitch Abernathy won. After that we all stand up, bow, and walk off stage. Topaz and I go to our rooms, silent.

When I reach my door, I realize she's still standing behind me. I turn and ask, "Something wrong?"

"Do you judge me because I gave my daughter away?" She asks finally, "I didn't know what to do, and my father told me it was the logical choice."

"Of course not," I say, "I know how it feels to be judged. Maybe someone will sympathize you and try to get you home so you can see your daughter again."

"You think?" She looks up at me.

I nod, "Definitely."

Then she did the most out of this world thing ever. She leans forward and kisses me. I'm shocked at first, but then I kiss back. We stand like that, kissing, for a couple of seconds before she leans back and looks at me.

"I just wanted to know how that felt," Was all she said before walking away from me and into her room

I stand there, trying to comprehend what she just did. Why did she do that? Just because she wanted to know what that felt like? Or did she think that the person who I "liked" was her? I mean, she's very attractive, and maybe I have some feelings for her, but we're about to enter the Hunger Games, and I'm not even sure of my feelings! Why the hell did she do that?

_One of us is going to die and then she ends up kissing me. Thanks for completely and totally confusing me, Topaz. Thanks._

**A/N: Don't think this is going to be another star-crossed lovers thing. Nope, this is way different than that, you'll see it when they get into the arena and start fighting for their lives.**


	6. Let the Games Begin

Chapter 6: Let the Games Begin

I bite my lip nervously as I walk over to the rooftop where a hovercraft is waiting. Mags is with me and I'm surprised she can still get up on the ladder when she goes up. I take in a deep breath and climb up on the ladder also, just below Mags. I feel something strong push against me, freezing my limbs. Panic sets in and I think this is some sort of trick, but when I'm lifted into the hovercraft, Mags is released but I am not.

"We're going to put a tracking device in you, Finnick," A woman in a white robe says, "the least bit of movement possible means it's more efficient to put in."

_How the hell can I move anyways?_

I feel a sharp, little pain go through my left arm, but it soon ebbs away and I'm released. I stumble onto the ground before Mags leads me over to a table and chairs. She offers me some water and at first I refuse, but then I realize that I might not find water for a while so I take it.

As I slowly sip my water, Mags says, "Stay with the Careers for a little bit, but then split once you think it's the right time."

"And when will the right time be?" I ask her.

She shrugs and says, "Anytime."

I frown and mutter, "That's helpful," But I don't think she hears me.

It's about 45 minutes before we land. I'm brought down into some sort of chamber under ground. Mags and I are led into a waiting room. There I'm handed some clothing. Once I put it on, I realize that everything is very light.

"Expect a warm climate," Mags says.

I nod and look at what I'm wearing in the mirror. I have on very light, baggy shorts that go to my knees. They're a cream color. My shoes are cream colored also and are very good for running and climbing in. My shirt is a green, very light short-sleeved t-shirt and I have on gloves for protection.

"Here," Mags hands me something and I take it in my hands.

I turn it around and realize that it's a necklace and at the end is a sea-shell. I remember my mother gave me this as the District token, but I haven't worn it at all yet. It used to be my brother's before he died.

"I found it in your room," Mags explains with a shrug, "I figured you would want it."

I nod and put it around my neck and say, "Thanks Mags."

She shrugs again and then they call me in, saying it's time. I gulp, feeling the nerves rise inside of me again, but I force myself to look calm. Mags leads me out into the hallway where a platform is waiting for me. I step on and turn to face Mags.

"Any last minute advice?" I ask her.

She smiles and nods saying, "Yes, stay alive."

And with that, a glass wall falls in between us and I feel myself turning around in complete darkness. I'm over whelmed in the shadows of the portal until I'm released into bright day light. I blink a couple of times, trying to adjust my eyes to the brightness.

Suddenly, I hear Claudius Templesmith's voice echo around us, "Ladies and gentlemen, let the 65th Hunger Games begin!"

We have to wait 60 seconds until we can step off our platform. I take this opportunity to look at my surroundings. I'm not in a desert, but the heat feels like it. We're in an empty terrain with sand-colored grass. Nothing is here except the Cornucopia, 24 tributes, and a lone tree.

I look far out, trying to see if there's anything else. I think there's a forest out a little ways. It's mostly trees by what I can tell, but at least it'll provide some shade from the unbearable sun. Besides that I can't see either which way except for to my right there's piles and piles of stones stretching on for miles. So a forest, rocks, and an empty terrain is what I have to work with. Great.

The gong suddenly goes off and I'm on my feet, dashing towards the Cornucopia. The items are stacked randomly with the good prizes hidden between crappy ones. I grab a sword and a long spear. Then I find a couple of knives and slip them under my thin belt before the others start coming.

I whip around to find the Tribute from District 9 in front of me. He pulls out a whip and slashes it towards me. I cry out as it catches on my left arm, thankfully not my sword arm. I take a knife in my right hand and fling it towards him, lodging it in his chest. He screams and falls to the ground. His body twitches a couple of times before he lies still.

I take the knife out of his chest before trying to find the rest of the Careers. Aidan and Flint are battling the girl Tribute from District 5. Aidan spears her in the stomach and she soon falls to the ground. I try not to feel sick with the impending guilt I feel. I killed that boy from District 9, he's _gone_. He will never live again and someone, out there in District 9, is calling for my blood to be spilled.

"Hey Finnick!" I hear Cara's voice and I whip around, seeing her with a cut on her forehead but over all pretty good. "Quit standing there and go kill some weaklings!"

I try to look fierce as I nod and say, "Fine!"

I look around for my next target, but it seems they come to me. I'm knocked to the ground and see the District 12 girl standing before me. She has an odd looking sword in her hand that she's about to drive down into my neck. I'm about to grab my sword or spear when I see a knife go through her. She spits out blood and falls down beside me, revealing Topaz there. So she's still alive.

"Get up!" She calls to me, "lying on the ground won't do any good!"

I can't help but think of that kiss last night. I want to ask her why she did it, because honestly it has just confused me. But this isn't the time. So I grab my sword and stand up.

"Sure thing, darling," I flash a smile at her.

She just rolls her eyes, like she normally does, before running back into the fight. It goes on like this, more killing, until finally the survivors have dispersed and we're left with 8 dead Tributes on the ground and a blazing sun over head. I've never been so hot and I'm just aching for some water, but there are enough water bottles here.

We move away from the bodies so that the hovercrafts can pick them up. After that we go over to the Cornucopia and pick up the supplies I need. I grab a pouch that goes around your waste and stuff it with food and water. Then I take a couple of more spears and knives before I'm set. We head over to the tree that gives enough shade for us to rest.

"Where do you think the others went?" Flint asks as he tosses up a knife and catches it.

"They could be anywhere, but most likely in the forest over there," Topaz nods over in the direct of the trees.

"We can't stay here," I say as I rest on one of the branches, "it's too open."

"And we need a place with water," Gemini shakes a water bottle she had been holding, "This isn't going to be enough to last us."

"I say we rest and head into the forest," Cara says as she fiddles with the bow and arrows she managed to get. We all looked at Aidan, who seemed to be the leader of our Career Pack.

He nodded and said, "Might as well, maybe we'll find some little children to kill also." He laughs and the others join in, except for Gemini, Topaz, and I. Gemini really never laughs though.

We rest for a little while before we head off towards the trees. I keep having to sip my water because the heat from the sun is excruciating. We all become sluggish and our pace slows in the blaring rays. Topaz, I realize, is limping a bit and her leg is covered in blood. She has the same outfit as me, except her shorts are a bit shorter, going up to the middle of her thigh. I really wish, though, that they would have given us some hats instead of these stupid gloves, it would be better.

Once we reach the trees it seems to have cooled off a bit. We move through the forest, trying to locate some water. I look out for the usual signs: wet soil, animal tracks, sounds of rushing water, anything to indicate water. But so far, we haven't come up with anything. Finally, Aidan tells us to rest.

"This is stupid," Gemini gasps as she slumps down, "There's no water here."

"There has to be," Topaz argues, "There has to be some somewhere around here, it would be boring if we all died of dehydration."

Though both me and Topaz (or I think Topaz) thinks that's horrible, watching children kill for entertainment and watching them slowly die of dehydration is boring, the others find humor in it. It makes me sick, really, but I don't let them realize it. I just sip my water as the others laugh.

"Yes, wouldn't want to ruin the show, right?" Aidan leans back on the trunk of a tree.

"This forest is weird though," Cara murmurs, "there's no undergrowth, just trees and some vines in the trees."

"This whole place is weird, what are you talking about?" Gemini mutters, "It looks like that one place we learned about. Um…" She snaps her fingers continuously as she thinks of it, "Africa! That's right, it looks like Africa."

"Africa doesn't have forests though," Cara argues.

"They do, it's just they look more like jungles," Flint murmurs.

"This isn't a jungle though," Cara growls.

"Well, this is the inventions of the Gamemakers," I say, not really knowing much about this 'Africa' but I guess in other Districts they learn about it, "anything can happen."

The others just shrug and we all quiet down as we sip on our water. The water we got from the Cornucopia won't be enough to let us survive, probably only for a couple of days. We left some there at it, and even though it's stupid to leave the Cornucopia unguarded, we don't have a choice. Unless…

"Wait," I jump up and grab the vines from the tree above me. I bring them down and start to weave them.

"What the hell are you doing?" Gemini asks me.

"Making a net," Topaz answers as I work, "I'm guessing he's making a net to trap someone in."

"Yes," I say as I tighten some vines, my brow creased in concentration, "we can place them around the Cornucopia and if someone steps on it, they're caught."

"So you're making a snare," Flint says.

"Basically, yes," I nod and lean back, looking at it before continuing my work.

"How long will it take?" Aidan asks me.

I shrug and say, "A day at most, I can work on them during my watches tonight."

"I'll work on them too, we've been making nets our whole lives," Topaz says, grabbing some vines and beginning to make her own. They aren't as complex as mine and I usually make up my own snares, traps, and nets, but she's good at it. She seems to be making a net that we catch fish in, but much bigger so it can catch a human being.

"I thought you were the mayor's daughter," Gemini says, narrowing her eyes.

"I am," She answers while working on a not.

"Then how do you know how to do this?" Gemini continues, "It's not like you had to work."

"My father made sure I worked," She answers calmly, looking up at Gemini for a second before looking back at the net, "she wanted me to know what the working life was like."

Gemini frowns and just snorts in disbelief as she sips some more water. We stay like that for a while, with Flint and Aidan looking for water and other tributes, Gemini and Cara keeping watch, and Topaz and I making the snares/nets. I stop, though, when I hear a commotion from a little farther away.

I drop what I'm working on and so does Topaz as Cara and Gemini raise their weapons. But then we hear the voices of Aidan and Flint, we relax a bit. But I stiffen when I see them come.

"Look what we found!" Aidan says.

And beside him, is a very frightened and beat up Lily, the girl from District 11.


	7. A Single Spark

Chapter 7: A Single Spark

I stare in horror as I see Lily standing in front of me, among the rest of the Careers. Maybe I had only talked to her once, but I don't want her to die. I remember how she told me she was determined to live so that her baby brother or sister would never know what hunger was. Now the others were ruining that for her.

"What do you think we should do with her?" Gemini hisses, flicking her knife towards her, making Lily flinch.

"I say we cut her up and feed her to the animals," Flint growls and she cowers away from him.

"Aw, let's have a little fun, shall we?" Cara jumps over to her and leans forward saying, "this scrawny thing won't be any fun if we cut her up."

They start laughing and I think I'm about ready to kill all of them. Topaz glances at me, as if she can see my anger at their words. Then Aidan looks at me.

"How about we let Flint and Finnick deal with her," He says, "I don't think we need to waste all on our energy on this wimp." He nudges Lily with the butt of his knife.

I stand up and say nonchalantly, "Fine, let's do it then."

Flint grabs Lily by the arm and drags her away from the others as I follow. I can't look at her in the eye, because I can see the betrayal in her gaze. Once we're farther than the others, Flint shoves her in front of us. He pauses though, thinking of what we should do.

_I need to do something._

I look around and to my surprise I see a fallen branch. Lily isn't staring at me anymore, but looking at Flint, shaking with terror. I creep over to the branch silently as I move behind the other Career. I can just tell that Ebony is screaming at me while Mags is waiting to see what I do. I could risk getting kicked out of the Careers or even killed, but that's a risk I'm willing to take for the girl who just wants a better life for her family.

I take the branch in my hands and weigh it, feeling the heaviness of it. It's a large branch and maybe if I swing it hard enough, I'll be able to knock him out. So that's what I do. I raise the branch high and slam it down onto Flint's head. He falls to the ground unconscious.

Lily stares at me, half in horror and half in bewilderment. She's speechless and just stands there, not knowing what to do.

"Go! Run!" I hiss at her, "Before he wakes up!"

She stands there for a couple of seconds as if processing what happened. But finally, she nods and dashes off. Once she's gone I drop the branch where she was and take my knife. I slice my leg open and gasp with pain as the blood wells out. Then I lay there, as if knocked out.

After a while, I hear Flint groan and I drag myself over to him.

"What…what happened?" He asked, looking around for Lily and sitting up, rubbing the back of his head where I hit him.

"The damn girl had a knife on her," I say, "I tried to warn you, but then when you weren't looking she hit you in the back of your head then sliced my leg open so I couldn't follow."

"Damn it," He growls, struggling up as he rubs his head, "I'll make sure we get that girl, make her pay for this."

"We have time," I say as I get to my feet, wincing a bit at my leg wound but I made it so that it wasn't too deep.

"Let's get back to the others," Flint sighs, "Aidan won't like this."

And he didn't like it either. When we told him, he punched a nearby tree and swore at the girl. But he calmed down soon enough as I bandaged up my leg and Flint put some ointment on his head. Maybe I should've let Lily die, that way I could go home, but if I do die, I want her to win. She deserves it.

"We'll get her," Cara says, playing with her bow and arrows, "She can't hide forever."

"We should concentrate on others for a while," Topaz murmurs, "And finding water."

"Yes," Gemini agrees, "I say we rest tonight and then go find some water and some other tributes tomorrow."

The sun was starting to set anyways so we settled down and began to rest. The temperatures were dropping rapidly and I began to shiver violently. Thankfully, though, Topaz grabbed two sleeping bags from the Cornucopia so I took one as did she. We continued our work on the nets while the others ate.

We then ate and Aidan told us to keep watch. We did so and as we worked I kept wanting to ask her why she kissed me, why, why, why. So I just spit it out.

"Why the hell did you kiss me last night?" I dropped what I was working on and looked at her.

She dropped what she was doing too and shrugged saying, "I don't know, I just always wondered what it would feel like and if I wonder about things, I do them."

"So…what?"

"So," She continues, "it's not like I have any feelings for you, I don't love you or anything, sorry but I don't."

"I have to say," I lean forward and rest my head on my palm, "I'm a little hurt by that." I flash a smile.

She rolls her eyes and says, "Whatever, but let's just forget about it, ok?"

"Fine," I lean back and say, "But that kiss was nice, I have to say it was a very good kiss."

"I'm sure you've had plenty other kisses before," She says, waving her hand dismissively.

I think about it and say, "Only one. Athena Cartwright."

Topaz laughs and exclaims, "That doesn't surprise me at all! Athena's probably one of the most well known people in our school!"

"Hey," I raise my hands in defense, "It didn't actually mean anything, but it was a very, very nice kiss."

"And where does mine rank?" She leans forward, interested.

"Hm, I don't know," I lean back, "A tie I say."

She punches my shoulder and I laugh and say, "Ow!"

"That's what you get," She says, her voice light though as she turns back to her work.

I go back to my net also, this is my second one now, but a question is still hanging on my tongue. A question I've been waiting to ask ever since the Interviews.

"Do you miss your daughter any?" I ask her finally, looking down at my net as I work.

She stops, unable to look me in the eye as she whispers, "Yes. I miss her all the time."

I look up at her and murmur, "Then why did you give her up?"

She sighs and shakes her head saying, "I don't know. But my father said it was the right choice, to let no one know. But when I told Ebony about it, she figured it would gain me some sponsors." She laughed hollowly, "Guess that whole, keeping it a secret thing went down the drain."

"I guess so," I smile a bit and then ask, "What was her name?"

Topaz smiles and says, "Aquaria. She has golden hair like mine, but her eyes look like the color of the sea."

I suddenly feel so bad for Topaz, the daughter of the mayor who had to give up her daughter and is now in the Hunger Games, that I rest my hand on top of hers. I think she's crying a bit, but it's hard to tell because she's making an effort to hide it. We stay like that for a little while until Topaz takes her hand away and continues her work, I do the same.

"Hey," Cara wakes up and says, "It's my shift now."

I nod and murmur, "Alright."

I set the nets down in a pile next to me as I settle into my sleeping bag. I now realize that the gloves reflect your heat along with protecting them from the rough vines, bark, and the stones. I close my eyes and feel myself falling asleep, thinking of Topaz and her young little daughter Aquaria.

I'm waken up around dawn by Aidan. He tells us it's time to get up, and I have to wonder who our next victim will be. I struggle up and Topaz and I stuff our things in her backpack (the small pack I got is basically useless). I keep some water with me and finally ditch the gloves, shoving them into the backpack as well. The heat is as unbearable as it was yesterday, but at least we have the shade from the trees this time.

"Did you finish up those nets?" Flint asks, the bump on his head not as noticeable as it was yesterday.

"Yeah," I say and put them over my shoulder, "Should we set them up now?"

"Might as well," Aidan murmurs as he takes the lead out of the forest.

We push through the empty terrain at a slow pace, drinking some water as we go along. The heat is unbearable and I only wonder what the other Tributes are doing without the bottles of water we have. Maybe they found a drinking source somewhere?

We reach the Cornucopia finally and Topaz and I lay out the nets. We take the few water bottles that there are left (I have a feeling some one took a couple) and put them in our bags. I take some smaller spears and slide the knives under my belt. I take my sword and start fiddling with it under the tree as the others look for anything useful.

"Come on, let's go already," Gemini tells them, "I'm dying in this heat."

"And we need a water source," Topaz adds.

"Alright," Aidan says, coming over with Flint and Cara, "let's go back into the forest, rest, and then find some tributes."

We do that and go back to where we had been before. We rest, drinking up our water and staying in the shade, until Aidan tells us it's time. Cara offers to scout ahead and Topaz goes with her as I stay with Aidan, Flint, and Gemini. We suddenly hear something up ahead and we quicken our pace.

We come to a small clearing with a small pool of water in it. Cara and Topaz has the two tributes cornered. I recognize one as Citrine, the girl from District 3. The other one I think is the girl from District 8. Cara is ready to shoot one of them with her arrows while Topaz has her spears ready.

"Oh look," Gemini says, her voice sounding like a dark purr, "some tiny tributes ready to be killed."

"What do you mean?" Snaps the girl from District 8, "I'm looking at them."

"Should we kill them?" Cara asks, poised and ready. "Or have some fun?"

"Just kill them," Aidan says, "they're not important."

"I think you're mistaken," Citrine says, her eyes glinting mysteriously.

"Oh? And why's that?" Aidan crosses his arms.

Citrine smiles and then says, "You'll see in three…two…one."

Right as she says one, the whole place goes up. I was at the end and I'm thrown backwards into the grass. Flames burst up from the explosion and smoke rises as Citrine disappears but the District 8 girl is killed in the explosion. I cover my head with my arms as something else blows up near by. My ears are ringing and I'm coughing like crazy as I try to see through the smoke, my eyes watering.

"Shit!" I hear a voice, I think it's Gemini but my ears are ringing so bad it's hard to tell, "Let's get out of here!"

I stumble to my feet and race away, my steps unsteady as I try to make it through the smoke and flames. I think I see Flint up ahead so I follow him. I feel something burn onto me and I screech as I feel the flames dig into the bare skin on my arm. I pat it out quickly, feeling the fiery pain reach up into my arm and hands as I race away.

Finally the smoke clears and I collapse on the ground beside Flint and Gemini. We're all coughing and I'm gripping my arm. It's not a real bad burn, just from the flames skimming against it, but it still hurts like hell. I lean back my head on the grass as I see Topaz and Aidan race out and collapse beside us. Soon Cara comes too, a bad burn on her leg.

One cannon goes off and I know it's the girl from District 8. We don't react much to it as we catch our breath and Topaz goes through the first-aid kit. She finds some kind of ointment and we rub it on our burns, sighs escaping our lips from the cooling sensation.

"There's two on my list," Gemini gasps.

"What was her name?" Cara asks.

"Citrine," I answer, "From District 3."

"Well," Topaz murmurs, "She certainly does make things spark."

"Yeah," Flint mutters, "tell me about it."

And I now realize what Citrine meant in her interview by 'anything that sparks'. There are more dangers in this Hunger Games than just the Careers now.


	8. Heat of the Game

Chapter 8: Heat of the Game

It had been a full day since the explosion, killing the District 8 girl. We were all dying from the heat and were running out of water. We kept searching, but wherever it was, we couldn't find it. We had a couple of water bottles left, but we were starting to ration it. The food wasn't at all hard to find, there were animals everywhere, very large ones too. Either that or we would take what we had from the Cornucopia.

Finally, Cara just grew sick of it, slamming her bow and arrow on the ground and screaming, "Why do we keep on search? Maybe there is no water! We should just let our sponsors give us the damn water!"

"Why should we?" I ask, crossing my arms, "We don't need the shit from the sponsors, we can use whatever we want. There has to be some water around here somewhere, or all the other tributes would be dead."

"It must be a long ways though," Topaz says, slumping to the ground, "the ground is so dry…"

"But think," Flint pointed out, "If we find water, we'll find tributes too."

"Is it worth it?" Gemini grumbled, "We'll all pass out if we go any further!"

We all look at Aidan now, who has stayed quiet, watching the exchange. Finally he says, "We'll go on for a little bit more, but if not we'll stop looking for it."

None of us are very happy, so we just grumble and get back to our feet. We follow Aidan for a while, just heading straight. My legs are so tired I feel like I'm going to pass out and the shade from the trees provides no comfort from the unbearable heat. My mind is starting to go fuzzy and I know that I'm dangerously dehydrated, but I only have half a bottle of water left, I need to save it.

After a while, we still find nothing. We're so weak that probably even Lily could finish us off. Aidan sees that and we stop walking. I collapse on the ground, not having the energy to do anything. I feel like I should go further, as if I'm close. But I don't want to have to get stuff from sponsors, Mags should save it up and finally send me something big. Thinking of that starts my energy up again.

I jump to my feet, a sudden burst of energy in me. Everyone glances at me but are too tired to ask. I race forward and I only go about a 10 yards before I see a large river. The river stretches through the entire area, it seems, slicing it right in the middle. I scream with happiness and plunge my face into the cool water.

I take my head out of the water and hear other people come forward. Topaz gives a shriek of joy and practically dives into the river which is very calm. Aidan splashes is face with water while Flint dunks his head like I did. Cara jumps in the air, excited, and takes a big gulp of water. Gemini does the same and then splashes her face.

"Be careful," I say after I dive into the water and back out, "it might be contaminated."

"Fine, let's get the iodine then," Cara mutters.

We wait the painful 30 minutes and then we sip our water bottles slowly. Once we're fully quenched of our thirst, we lean back on the nearby rocks. This must be the only water source we have, and I'm just about to wonder if there are any other tributes here when a knife goes flying past me and landing into Cara's chest.

She screams and her legs buckle as she collapses into the river. Her cannon goes off as the river fills with blood and we all prepare ourselves. I see Will from District 8 materialize out of the trees with Devan from District 3. I grab one of my spears and throw it in Devan's direction. It hits him right on, right in the chest where the heart is. He dies instantly and his cannon goes off.

"Kill him!" Aidan yells, pointing at Will.

Will, now suddenly realizing he's badly out numbered, tries to run. But Gemini catches him by sending a knife through his leg. He falls and screams out, but yanks the knife out before throwing it at us. It's weak and ends up in the river as he limps away. Topaz takes Cara's bow and arrows and shoots but he's too far now and just as quickly as it started, it ended.

"Stupid kid," Gemini hisses as the hovercraft appears and picks up Cara's body and then Devan's. I try not to think about how I just killed him.

We're all panting from the one, maybe two minute, fight. I dip back into the river (the part without Cara's blood in it) to cool myself off. Then I scramble back onto land as Aidan begins to talk.

"Alright, we're going to set up camp here," He explains, "since the Cornucopia can't have anything taken from it, it's safe. Topaz and Finnick, you're going to make some nets around here and then Gemini you take Cara's bow and arrows and go hunting. Flint and I will set up camp. We'll rest and tonight, we're going hunting."

So Topaz and I sit by the water's edge, our feet dangling in the cool, vast water as we weave our nets out of vines. I'm calculating in my head when the right time is when I should leave the Career Pack. Cara's dead, so that means we have only 5 people now. When the numbers start getting short, that's when I'll have to leave.

But the problem is, is if I should leave Topaz? I don't want to leave her, I don't want her to die, I actually don't want anybody to die, but that's impossible. If I'm going to be crowned victor, Topaz will have to die along with everybody else, even Lily. But I don't like the thought of seeing either one of them die, so I push it away quickly.

It's around sunset when we finish our nets. We place them around our camp and even on some of the rocks on the river. Gemini has caught some odd creature, it looks like a deer almost, but bigger with larger antlers. I don't think about it much, because meat is meat. But I remember Mags teaching me how to make anglers, so I start doing that. I devise my own fishing rod and get two fish.

"How are we supposed to start a fire?" Flint asks, crossing his arms.

"It's too open, but I doubt anyone will come towards us," Topaz points out, "We can make some, just need some branches."

"Oh yeah?" Gemini goes to the nearest tree and gives a branch a good yank, "like that's going to fall off any time soon. We need an axe, no knife can withstand this."

"But we don't have an axe," I point out, "there must be something else we can make a fire out of."

"Yeah, but we need matches for that," Topaz murmurs, "we need matches to start a fire quickly. We don't have any."

"There were none at the Cornucopia," Aidan says, "and there are not enough branches that have fallen to make a fire anyways."

"So how do we eat this?" Gemini points to the food we got.

"We shouldn't eat it raw," Topaz frowns and says, "so we shouldn't eat it."

"We still have food from the Cornucopia," Flint points out, "We can eat that."

"And after we run out?" Gemini mutters.

"We'll deal with that once it comes," Aidan waves his hand dismissively, "For now let's eat what we've got."

"And we can put this near the traps," I say as I pick up the fish and drag the deer-thing by its antlers, "for bait."

"Good idea," Aidan says and I drag it off to different traps.

I come back and Topaz hands me some fruit that had been in our backpack we shared. I settle down next to her and eat it, all the time thinking up strategies and get away plans. For now, they don't want to kill me,

When dusk falls upon us, Aidan stands up and says, "Alright, let's go check those traps first."

The rest of us stand up and follow and grab my sword, preparing myself. I hear Aidan laugh up ahead and we quicken our pace. I see what it is he's laughing at, and it's the boy tribute from District 5. He's struggling to get out of the trap that's hanging him high in the air. Gemini pokes him with her knife and dances around, all excited.

They start taunting him and scaring him, and he looks to be about only 12 years old. There's no way he'll get out of this, but the fact that they're doing this to him just makes me pissed. So I grab my spear and I chuck it at him, ending his life quickly enough. It goes right through his head and he falls limp. His cannon goes off quickly. At least he's not here anymore.

"Aw," Gemini complained, "You ruined our fun."

"Let's just get on with it," I growl as I grab my spear from the boy's head and see the hovercraft pick him up. The guilt is horrible, just like when I killed that District 9 boy and Devan. I shove it away, though, because I don't want to think about how I just ended the life of a 12 year old.

We search the rest of the area but it seems that ever since the cannon fired, the others have disappeared. I count in my head how many are left in the arena after just 4 days. 12 people are left, so that means 12 people have been killed. 2 of them were from me. The guilt seizes me again, but I shove it away as we move back to the camp.

The moon is high in the sky as we settle down. I say I'll be the first to watch so the others fall asleep. As I'm sitting here in the cold and dark, weaving some more traps, I hear a rustle behind me. I jump up, wielding my sword and narrowing my sea-green eyes. I'm not that scared, really, but my heart pumps loudly in my chest as the adrenaline rushes through me. I don't bother to alert the others as I walk into the forest.

"Who's there?" I call out, and a knife answers for me.

I scream as it swipes past me, slicing open my shoulder. I turn and see Thorn, the tribute from District 11. He has a sword, just like me, and he runs towards me. He slams his sword down, but I block it with mine. I grunt with pain as I use the effort in my right shoulder that had been cut. I slice his side open while he tries to stab me.

I jump back and block it before diving forward again. He rolls out of the way and catches my ankle. I gasp and then strike my sword against his arm. It slices it open and he grunts as he kicks me back.

I stumble backwards before grabbing one of the knives in my belt and throwing it at him. He dodges it though and sends it back towards me. I just barely miss it as it flies over my head. I wonder only for a brief second why no one has come to help, they should've heard my scream, or did they? I shake the thought away and stumble forward, striking my sword down on Thorn's leg.

He falls to the ground and I'm just about to finish him off until he slams a fist into my ankle. My leg gives out and I buckle down to the ground. I struggle to get back up, but he's already limping away from me, and into the forest.


	9. Decisions

Chapter 9: Decisions

"God damn it!" I hiss as Topaz rubs some sort of ointment to keep off infections with.

"Oh deal with it," Topaz says unsympathetically, "It doesn't hurt that bad."

I glare at her and snap, "This damn ointment's going to burn my frigin' skin!"

She rolls her eyes and mutters, "Idiot."

"I heard that."

"Good."

I continue to glare at her as she finishes up my wounds and leans back. She puts it away as I sit there with my arms crossed. The wounds start to feel a bit better so I'm able to walk around a bit. I don't know what that shit is but it sure did do the job.

"You shouldn't walk," Topaz points out, "If you want them to heal you have to sit."

"What, are you a doctor now?" I shoot back at her as I sit down.

"Don't be such an ass-hole," She snarls at me, "You should be lucky we have that stuff."

I'm about to say something when Gemini cuts in and snaps, "Would you shut the hell up?"

"No," I mutter.

She glares at me and I'm sure I'm close to going on her death list, but I really don't give a shit. My whole body hurts like hell and I haven't been able to get any sleep. I have to stay here while the others are off looking for Tributes. I know they're intentionally staying away from us.

_One more dead I'll leave._

It's been nearly a week in the arena, probably around 5 or 6 days. So far half of the tributes are dead. I just need one more cannon to go off before I split. But I'll have to take most of the supplies here, it'll be helpful.

But then I wonder, what will I do about Topaz? Should I leave her here? I don't think she'll ever go with me, and though I'm concerned about her safety, I know I shouldn't be. She'll die one way or another. Though whenever I think of her and her daughter, Aquaria, I doubt whether or not I should go home.

_Don't think about that, it'll only make you die, _I tell myself silently.

I suddenly hear footsteps and Aidan and Flint are back. They have nothing except some stuff they managed to find here. They're sweating from the heat, but even I'm sweating and I'm not even moving. I'm starting to think of the Gamemakers are planning on boiling us to death.

"No one's around," Flint mutters as he throws his weapons to the ground, "You would think they would be near the only water source."

"You never know," Topaz shrugs her shoulders, "They could've found some water somewhere else."

"Doubt it," Gemini mutters.

"They have to be somewhere," Aidan says, walking around, "maybe if we go downstream we might find some people."

"But that's where all the rocks are in the river and where it gets wider," Topaz points out.

"Not to mention the rapids," I say.

"It's worth a shot," Aidan says, and we don't disagree any further.

"Can you walk?" Flint nudges my foot with the stub of his sword.

Topaz is about to say something but I'm already on my feet. "Of course I can," I snap, stumbling a bit and wincing but walking a bit.

Aidan looks at me but then shrugs as we leave. Topaz has to guard with Flint while Gemini and I come with Aidan. We head out down the river. The water starts getting rough as rocks pile up. You soon see the rapids and it'll be impossible to swim to the other side. At least where we camp, it's much narrower and calmer.

"Damn," Gemini mutters, "You'd drown here." 

"Obviously," I say, "We have rivers like these back in District 4, even whirlpools."

"Whirlpools?" Aidan echoes.

"Where the water swirls downward," I explain, "It's a sure way to drown."

"I bet," Gemini mutters.

I suddenly stop when I hear something. I turn around and I just made it out of the way when spear comes hurtling towards us. Gemini cusses something as she dodges it. It falls to the ground and Aidan hurls it back towards where it came from.

The bushes rustle and Gemini goes after it while Aidan and I stay put. There's a bit of a pause until Gemini comes back, holding a girl by the hair. The girl is from District 9, I recognize. She has medium-length brown hair with fierce brown eyes. She's struggling out of Gemini's grip, but the Career is much stronger than her.

"What should we do with this one?" Gemini asks, seeming amused almost.

The girl struggles and mutters, "Bitch."

Gemini punches her in the face, making her nose bleed.

"Let's see if she can fight any," Aidan murmurs, looking pleased.

The District 9 girl stiffens, but her free hand idles by the knife in her belt. I watch her carefully, making sure she doesn't try a fast move on us. I take out my knife as well, readying myself for a fight.

"Alright," Gemini smiles cruelly and pushes the girl forward, "Let's fight."

The girl automatically throws a knife directly at Gemini. She deflects it with her sword as I chuck my knife at the District 9 girl. It slams right into her thigh and she screams, crumbling down. But she refuses to give up.

She pulls out the knife and weakly throws it at me. I dodge it as Aidan takes his knife and slams it against his hand. She screams as her hand is detached from her arm. I feel like I might get sick, but I force it away as I take my spear in my hand.

"No," Aidan tells me, "Wait for that, let's have a little fun first." 

I don't' know what else I'm supposed to do, and honestly I feel like I'm going to barf as the girl groans and cries out, gripping her arm and where her hand is supposed to be. I try not to look at the hand that lies on the ground beside her.

I lunge forward, though, raking my sword against her side. It isn't a bad wound, but it's something to show the rest of the Careers I'm not weak. She keeps moaning and screaming and tears are streaking down her face. She's covered in blood now and it'll have to end soon or she'll die from loss of blood.

Gemini is having her fun causing the poor girl pain as Aidan just digs his knife into areas that won't kill her. I'm definitely close to vomiting now either that or just chucking the spear at her head. Either way, she's going to die, might as well end it. Just like that boy from District 5…

Suddenly Aidan takes the spear from my hand and lunges it towards the girl. She's covered in wounds and is lying in a puddle of blood. She stopped screaming a while ago, now it's just soft moans. Aidan, thankfully, throws the spear towards her and it buries itself in her head. Her cannon goes off immediately.

_Well, _I think, about ready to be sick, _at least I can leave the Careers now._

She was the last person I needed before I decided I would split. And as we walk off, back towards the camp, I start to figure out my plan. I'll have to leave at night during my shift, and take my nets with me. Then I'll cross the river and go on from there and walk the rest of the night. But should I leave Topaz?

The thought unsettles me of leaving her alone with the Careers. I mean, it's hard to say since only one of us will live, but I guess we're friends. Maybe, I'm not so sure. But still, I don't want to leave her. What will I do? 

My thoughts are cut short when I hear Flint ask, "So who was the unlucky bastard?" 

"Bitch," Gemini corrected.

"The girl from District 9," Aidan cracks his knuckles, "we had some fun with her."

Topaz mutters, "Well good for you," rolling her eyes, but I think I'm the only one who pays attention to her.

"Let's eat before it gets cold again," Gemini suggests.

The sun sets while we eat and Flint offers to take the first watch. I rub some more ointment on my wounds, ignoring the stinging. I fall quickly asleep, but that night I have nightmares of the girl from District 9 and the horrible torture she went through…

"Hey," I hear a voice through my nightmares, "Wake up, it's your shift."

My eyes flash open and I realize I'm sweating. Aidan is looking at me and I just nod to him as I struggle out of the sleeping bag. The air is icy cold and it feels refreshing from how I was burning up in that sleeping bag.

I wait for Aidan to fall asleep first before I start packing up. I look around and try to think of what I'll need. The less the better, then they will just suspect that I went out for some food or something instead of ditching them. That means I'll have to leave my sleeping bag, but oh well, I'll risk it.

I gather together my weapons and push my knives and swords under my belt. I'm starting to get cold out in the open, but I'll have to grit my teeth and stick it out till morning. There's nothing I can do without them suspecting something.

I finally grab some fruit that was lying on the ground and start eating it. I'm just about ready to leave when I remember about Topaz. Should I get her to come with me? But what if she tells the others I was trying to leave? I stand there for a couple of seconds pondering over it, until I finally make my decision.

_No, I can't. It's no more Mr. Nice Guy anymore; I have to be tough, fierce, and willing to kill. I'll have to kill and I can't give a damn about anybody else. Show one weakness and I'll be as good as dead. I'll be on my own now, I can't be the good guy anymore._

And so I leave, crossing the river and putting Topaz and the rest of the Careers behind me.


	10. Solitude

Chapter 10: Solitude

Well, I'm alone, and now I fully regret my decision. They weren't turning on me, yet, so why did I feel the need to run? Shit.

I'm starving as I trek through the forest, heading away from the Cornucopia and the river. I'm still a bit cold, but not nearly as bad as it was for me earlier that night. The dawn sun is just beginning to rise behind me causing the arena to begin to warm up. In a couple of hours we will be roasting like fish on a grill.

My feet ache from walking all night long, so I collapse next to a tree. My stomach grumbles in protest from not being fed, but I refuse to eat the few foods I have. I need to ration it, even if it means starving myself. I'm so hungry, though, that I think about asking for food, surely I have sponsors. But I don't, because Mags should be saving up for something big, not some dingy food that'll keep me going for a couple of days.

I wonder if the Career Pack is waking up now, noticing I'm gone. I think for a moment of what Topaz will think, if she will feel betrayed that I left her behind. But then I shut the thought out, because I'm not playing the nice guy anymore, I'm here to kill.

I feel myself starting to slip into sleep, so I try to find a suitable place to rest. Everything is so open here, except for the trees. Besides that there's nothing much in this forest, except for the vines that hang on those trees. Vines. Wait, vines!

I jump to my feet and scramble up onto the branches of the tree behind me. I reach up and yank at a tangle of vines that comes down willingly. I settle down on the ground and begin weaving, my hands working like crazy. After about an hour I have an intricate net ready for my disposal. I set it down below the branch that I will sleep on and scramble up the tree.

Finally I have a protected place to sleep, and the other vines will hide me from view. I try to make the branch as comfortable as possible by taking my knife and smoothing it out. Finally I settle down and fall into a restless sleep…

I'm woken up by a scream of alarm. I jump and flash open my eyes. I move the vines in front of me away as I see one of the tributes hanging in the air, supported by my net. So it did work.

Then I notice that it's Thorn, the boy tribute from District 11. He's struggling to get out, but I made it so that they wouldn't be able to tear through it without a weapon. He is weaponless, his sword lying on the ground below.

Now's my chance, to kill him once and for all. I feel that twinge of guilt and the horrible need not to kill. But I push it away, you have to learn how to kill in the Hunger Games. But what do I kill him with?

I glance at my weapons beside me. I have two spears, a sword, and three knives. Well, I could do well with the spears, but then I'd only have one left. The knives might get caught in the webbing, and I'm certainly not going to loose my sword. That's when I see a silver parachute glide down beside me.

It's large, and by the size and shape of the box it looks like it might be a sword. But no, when I open the black box instead I see a trident. A beautiful, golden, trident, very similar to the ones I used at home. It's my weapon, and I know Mags gave it to me for a reason.

I smile to myself before taking the trident in my hand. I weight it carefully as Thorn thrashes in the net. It's the perfect weight for me, not too heavy but not too light. It could easily kill Thorn, and it would be long enough so that I could get it back by just reaching over. Perfect.

So I reach back, and that twinge of guilt sparks inside me again as I release my trident and it goes scoring through Thorn's body. It goes right through his chest and his attempts to get out end quickly, almost immediately, once it hits his body. His cannon goes off and he's officially dead.

I reach over, hanging on to the tree for dear life, as I yank my trident out of the boy. I slip my sword and knives under my belt and grab my spears. I think about ditching my spears, but it wouldn't be good if I lost them, because what if I lost my trident? So I carry them with me as I struggle down.

The sun is high above now, signaling that it's noon. I'm already sweating and the extra guilt from killing Thorn doesn't help either. But I move on through the forest. I don't know where I'm getting at, just walking in one straight direction, but still the arena has to end somewhere. Maybe I'll find something I can use back there, like Haymitch Abernathy did in his Games. I remember watching re-runs of it when I was younger.

I try to look as strong as I can while sipping my water. I'm loosing water quickly, and I know I have to find a source soon. But what if the river is the only source? Maybe it's a tool from the Gamemakers to drive us together? No, it's impossible. The other Tributes would be dead by now because of the Career Pack.

And while I'm processing all of this, I barely even notice when the leaves on nearby trees shimmer. I freeze, though, when I do notice. I raise my trident and look around, trying to find who ever is there. I don't dare call out as I stalk near the tree. Suddenly, I feel some clasp around my neck.

I scream in surprise, but the scream gets no where because of the reduced oxygen I'm getting. I fall from the yank at my throat and I realize that something is wrapped around my neck. It feels like a whip and the chokehold keeps getting stronger.

From all I know about this, the only thing I do know is to keep still. But the low amount of oxygen getting to my brain is making me go fuzzy and I can't think straight. In one, last, desperate attempt I reach back my trident behind me, hoping to hit a vital area.

I didn't hit a vital area, but it was good enough. I hear a sharp exclamation and I feel the whip release from my throat. I fall flat on the ground, taking in loud breaths as I struggle to get my air back. I suddenly realize that I haven't had another attack on this person. Did I kill them? No, they would've been dead by now.

So I turn around, still on the ground, and come face to face with Lily. Damn, why does this girl keep showing up? She looks surprised that it's me and she's clasping her left arm which has a deep cut in it, probably from my trident.

"Finnick!" She gasps, "I…I didn't know it was you!"

I narrow my eyes, wondering if I should play along with this. I saved her life once, but that was back in the beginning. I won't be giving her any mercy. So with that I back up and raise my trident. She realizes this too and, with her good arm, takes a sword in her belt.

I look at what she has, maybe if I kill her I can get some good stuff. She has a couple of swords and one whip, obviously. Then she has a green backpack around her shoulders which is possibly carrying food and water or anything else. It's then that I realize that she looks _healthy. _She doesn't look dehydrated, starved, or badly wounded, just sweating from the heat. How has she carried this off?

"I swear," She says, panting a bit, "I thought you were someone else, and you can't blame me you're with the Careers."

"No," I say slowly, "I'm not. I left."

"Oh," She murmurs and then she drops her weapon, "Go ahead and kill me then anyways. You saved my life once, you won't have to do it again."

I'm just about to kill her, and I have reached back my trident, but then I stop. Because when I look at Lily, with her eyes the color of lilies and her hair, a soft golden color also that is held back in a pony tail, I see the girl I trained with. I see the girl who I helped make those snares with. And most of all, I see the girl who's determined to win so that her baby brother or sister will never know the feeling of hunger.

All of this makes me lower my weapon, because she doesn't deserve to die, especially not at my hands. I'll never be able to live with that. And she's around my age too, we're one of the youngest ones. She must be smart to be able to be so healthy in the Games with such limited water, and she's lasted a long time on her own.

She lowers her arms as I say, "I can't kill you, you damn girl."

Then we both start laughing.

"Thanks," She murmurs, "I appreciate it."

"How about allies," I suggest, "better with the both of us alive and doing well then killing each other, right?" I flash her a small grin.

"How can you joke about something like this?" She asks me, shaking her head, but then says, "Deal."

We shake on it as she settles down to open up her pack. I realize that it's filled with fruits and berries I had not been able to find and there's two bottles of water in it too. Then she pulls out a first aid kit that must've come with the pack. She wraps a bandage around her arm before handing me a bottle of water.

"Here, you look parched," She says, her quiet voice kind and helpful.

"Thanks," I take it and say, "I'm not used to such little water here."

"I can tell," She nods as I sip the water, forcing myself to be slow.

After a little while she shoves everything in her pack and stands up. "Come on," She tells me, "I'll show you where my camp is."

I nod and follow her. We walk for a little bit until we come to a pond. I sigh in relief, thanking myself for being allies with Lily. I would have never found this and I would've died with dehydration. The vines are more abundant here and there are actually some plants growing around too. The pond is crystal clear and you can almost see to the bottom, and there's fish here too.

"If only we could bake the fish," I sigh, now wishing for the constant meals of fish my mother feeds me back at home.

"There's not much to start a fire with," She agrees as she settles down.

I realize that Lily is a quiet girl and we don't talk much as I start making a bed out of the vines that hang in the trees. She can swim, obviously, as she wades in the water to cool off. What surprises me the most is how kind she is to the fish and even the animals that come by so often. I see them as a food source, but she obviously sees them as a friend.

"Are there many animals in District 11?" I ask her as I finish with my bed and go onto a snare.

"Oh yes," She nods as she gets out of the pond, "There are many."

"Like what?" I ask, trying not to show my slight frustration at how she never really explains things.

She settles down next to me as her lily-colored eyes sparkle with a new sensation. "There's some mockingjays that love to sing in our fields that we work on. Then in the forests there are so many different types of animals it's hard to name all of them."

"Sounds like a nice place," I murmur, thinking about how it must be like to live in District 11.

"It is," She whispers as she tucks her legs up to her chest, "It's a wonderful place."

We have small chatter from then on, and I get her to laugh a couple of times as I joke around. By night time we're both exhausted and eat some berries while we look up at the sky. There was only one death today, and that death was Thorn. I hear Lily sigh and I wonder how much she knew Thorn, since they came from the same districts. I don't bother telling her that I was the one who killed her District partner.

I offer to take the first watch as Lily settles down to sleep. I rest my head on my blanket of vines as I try to stay warm in the coldness of the night. My breath swirls around me as I see it disappear into the night air.

I think about Topaz and the Careers and all the other Tributes, dead or alive. I think of the boy from District 9, dead before I even knew his name. Then I think about Devan and the District 5 boy. Then Thorn comes, my most recent kill. I feel the amount of guilt grow as I think of all of them, and I wonder faintly what their families must think of me. I don't go too far on that subject though.

I wake up Lily somewhere during the middle of the night. She takes watch as I fall asleep. I'm restless again, seeing the faces of those I killed in my dreams. When I wake up, I'm sweating and I know it's not just from the heat.

"Nightmares?" Lily looks at me as she comes from a nearby bush, berries in hand.

She gives them to me as I say, "Yeah." I pause as I eat a couple of berries before saying, "Do you think they'll ever go away?"

Lily looks at me, her golden eyes speaking the real truth as does her voice. "No," She says, "Unless we die, we will always be haunted by the Games and everything about it."


	11. Now the Games Have Begun

Chapter 11: Now the Games Have Begun

I grumble as Lily nudges me, telling me it's time to wake up. It's dawn already and the arena is blistering hot. I sit up and start sipping some water right away, trying to get rid of the burning ache in my throat. Lily is collecting some more water and berries, and it seems like we could both do this for a long time, if the others weren't hunting us down.

No doubt the Careers will be looking for us soon enough. I wonder what they're doing now, now that I'm gone. I only wonder briefly about Topaz before shoving her out of my mind. It doesn't matter to me if she is killed, and I keep telling myself this all the time, but I don't think it's true.

Lily hands me some berries as I start popping them into my mouth. She settles down beside me and eats also. We do this in silence as I start preparing my weapons. I glance at Lily and see that she only has a sword and a whip, it's good enough I suppose.

"Do you need another weapon?" I ask her, taking one of my knives and handing it to her, "You might need it."

She hesitates, looking at the weapon, but then nods and takes it in her hands. She turns it around, as if studying it, before slipping it behind her belt. Silence penetrates us again as I lean my head back and look up at the sky. I think to myself how we'll have to go out there and hunt some people, just like the Careers. We can't sit here all day, because we're meant to kill. We have to do this, unless we want to be killed.

"I know what you're thinking," Lily says quietly after a while, "I don't want to kill anyone."

"You'll have to," I answer.

"I know," She whispers, looking at the pond in front of us.

"It's hard," I say slowly, "and the guilt is unbearable, just like the heat, but you have to live with it. If you want to survive this hell hole, you're going to have to kill."

Lily sits up and buries her head in her hands before looking up and murmuring, "I know. I just don't want to think how I'm hurting their family and how I'm making it so that they're loosing out on all of life's pleasures."

"Then don't think about it," I tell her, "just think of it as a way to get home."

She doesn't say anything after that and instead curls up on the grass. She seems so distant and quiet, and I know she doesn't want to kill, but she'll have to. I wish I could comfort her in a way, but there's no way. One of us will have to die anyways, I just hope that it doesn't come down to us two.

It's then that suddenly, a knife whips out of the bushes. Lily screams as the knife pierces her shoulder and she falls flat on her back. I jump up and try to see where the knife came from, before another comes flying out. I gasp in pain as it slices my leg open and I fall to the ground.

The person obviously sees that we're not dead and that they're out of knives, but then they wield another weapon. I can't see the person, but I can just barely see the tip of an arrow. Where did that person get a bow and arrow? Only the Careers had it, and it was Cara's before she died. Did they snatch it when they weren't looking?

Suddenly, a spear comes spiraling towards us from a different direction. So this person has a friend. I grab Lily's arm and drag her quickly over to me. She shouts in pain as she tries to get the knife out of her shoulder blade, but is obviously in too much pain. The spear lands where she was lying.

We're in deep trouble now, and I see the arrow come back as the other person gets another weapon. But before that person with the bow can send out their arrow, I already have my spear in hand. I take it in my hand, the one not holding Lily's, as I send it towards where the arrow is.

Apparently, it wasn't a direct hit to a vital area. I just hear a scream as the bushes rustle and I see the feet of someone. They must be dying, but not yet dead. The other person starts moving towards them, making the leaves move in their movement.

"Finnick," Lily struggles to speak as she lifts up her hand and points in a direction, "There…"

I look back and see nothing. I hear a cannon go off and figure it's the tribute I sent the spear into. But then, another cannon goes off. We didn't injure the other tribute, how did she die? The only answer, is that we're not the only ones here.

And I'm right, because then Topaz runs out, wielding the bow and arrows she took from the dead tribute. She stops suddenly when she sees me and Lily, both wounded and bleeding. Her eyes narrow and just as I'm about to think she might help us, she raises her bow and pulls her string back. So much for that.

I clutch one of my knives and throw it at her. She jumps as it slices past her, but cuts open her side. She gasps and holds her side, temporarily distracted. While she's worrying about that, I hoist Lily over me shoulders and force myself to my feet. Ignoring the pain in my leg and I limp away as fast as I can.

I hear the other Careers now and they start shouting. They start to follow us and I try to go faster, but my leg and Lily is slowing me down. I grit my teeth from the pain that comes from my leg as I try to move faster and faster, but they keep getting closer and closer.

Suddenly, though, when I look ahead of me, I recognize the spot where I put one of my snares. I smile wickedly as I force myself to jump over, ignoring the protest in my leg. I land and look back, seeing the careers fall right into it. Flint and Topaz run forward, but then the snare traps them up high in the air. Gemini and Aidan stop momentarily as if to see if there are any other traps, but I'm long gone by then.

They disappear behind me as I make my way through the forest. My breath comes in large gasps as I slow down and go by a tree. I'm sweating like crazy and I'm dangerously dehydrated again. I set Lily down on the ground who is in a great deal of pain as I slide down next to her.

"Can you get it out?" I ask her, panting.

She shakes her head and mutters through gritted teeth, "I can't do it myself."

"I'll do it then," I say.

I lean forward and grip the bloody knife that is wedged into her shoulder blade. I glance at her as she closes her eyes tightly and nods. I yank it out as she gasps and blood starts to well out. I grab her backpack and take out the first aid kit. I get some of the bandages out and wrap it around her wound as I do the same to my leg.

"Thanks," She gasps as she sips some water. I take some water too, but we're careful in how much we drink since we can't go back to the pond now.

"No problem," I say, "We're allies, that's what we do." I give her a devilish grin and she gives a light laugh. After a bit I ask, "Do you know who those tributes were?"

"No, I couldn't see their faces," She said, "I think the one the Careers killed was a girl, because I heard her say something. Her voice was higher than a boys."

I nod and say, "You're probably right. We'll see it in the sky tonight."

She pauses before murmuring, "We're in the final eight now, they'll be interviewing our families."

"You're right," I sigh, "But that also means the Gamemakers will try spicing it up a little."

"Well," She sits up and then says, "We can do something about that."

"Oh yeah?" I glance at her, "What are you thinking?"

"You can make those snares," She says, "And you have the trident now. I can help with the snares. People can just walk into them like the Careers did and we'll kill them."

I smile a bit and say, "Not as reluctant now, eh?"

"We have to do what we have to do," She says simply, "And this is what we have to do."

"Alright," I nod, "But first, we need a lot of vines."

By noon, we're setting up the traps and snares all around the arena. Lily sprinkles some nightlock berries around as bait, hoping no one will know what they are and that they'll be dead before we get to them. As we set up the last snare, Lily ties it to the branches as she puts some more berries by it too.

"Well," She says, leaning back, "Now we just have to wait."

I nod and then look at the snare before saying, "Yes, now the games have really begun."


	12. Flowers of Hope

Chapter 12: Flowers of Hope

"Come on," I tell Lily as I stand up to my feet, "We can't keep wasting time."

"You're right," She says, getting up also and away from the last net, "Do you think these nets will work?"

I smile and say, "Definitely. Now come on."

We walk away from the spot and go back to a camp we had set up an hour before. We have nets in different places and it's a nice clearing to set our stuff up. I avoid the traps carefully as does Lily as we make it over to the middle of the clearing. If someone tried to get to us they'd just get caught. We are perfectly safe.

"Want some food?" Lily asks, taking out the last of the berries she had gotten from the pond, "Might as well eat them now."

I shrug and say, "Why not."

She drops half of them in my hand as she eats the other half. I pop them into my mouth and feel their delicate skin split open as the juices fill around my mouth. I smile a bit and sit back, popping in berry after berry. It seems fine, and right now it seems like we have a good chance. That is, until a branch broke.

I hear a crack and we both jump up to our feet, dropping our berries on the ground. I look around, but it's already obvious. I see the Careers spot us just a little ways away and Gemini points and shouts something I can't hear. Lily tugs my arm and we're both about to run, but the Careers are faster.

They rush over to us and Topaz is smart enough to stop before moving forward, avoiding the traps as does Gemini. Flint, though, gets caught and he's sent up into the air as the net encloses around him. Aidan jumps forward also, only to be caught in another trap.

"Oh look," Gemini snarls, "Pretty boy and plant girl, what a lovely team."

I raise my trident and I look behind them at Flint and Aidan. They're both struggling in the nets, but unfortunately have knives. They cut it open as they tumble to the ground. They're even more frustrated as they stand up.

"Smart," Flint mutters, "But not smart enough."

"You'd be surprised," Lily says, as she takes a step back and he takes a step forward.

I wonder what she's doing; she might get us killed, so I look at her. Then, just slightly, she nods towards Flint. I look over and see the second snare. I had designed it for tripping someone and strapping their leg(s) to the ground. I step back also, as he steps forward. Just one more step.

"Just gonna stand there huh?" I say, and smile, "Never thought you were the bravest."

This got him, and he pulls out his knife as he races towards me. But, he trips and falls as one of his feet is caught in the snare. He slams hard to the ground and he struggles to get out, but his struggle aren't good enough. In only a second after he fell and throw my trident directly at him. It lands in his back and he falls limp before his cannon goes off.

Gemini, filled with fury after I killed her District partner, leaps forward. She sends two knives in my direction and I leap out of the way. Lily sends one of her knives and catches Topaz. She screams and falls to the ground as she grips the knife that is now in her leg. She yanks it out before sending it at her again. I shove her out of the way.

Aidan leaps forward with a sword. I bring mine up as it deflects his. He brings it down over me, but I block it yet again. I slice my sword across him, just barely cutting his abdominal area. He grunts as I leap back and he thrusts forward. My body hurts like hell, and he is much stronger than me and now faster because he doesn't have as many injuries.

I can't see what's going on with Gemini, Topaz, and Lily, but since no cannon has gone off I figure they're not dead yet. I take one of my knives under my belt and, with my free hand, throw it towards Aidan. It slices open his hand, but besides that falls uselessly to the ground. He picks it up, ignoring his bleeding hand, and sends it towards me at a blazing fast speed.

I can't dodge it, and it slices open my arm. I gasp and hold it tight with my other hand. I know that to win, I'll have to get my trident. But that's when I see the hover craft appear. I forget all about Aidan as I rush over to Flint's dead body. Right as the claws are coming down, I rip the bloody trident out of him as I turn around and, thankfully, have it block Aidan's blow with his spear.

I kick Aidan in the gut with my foot and he stumbles back as I reach forward with my trident. He dodges it as he still grips his gut, trying to get his breath back. He slices his sword in the air as I move back, trying to get away from it. The hovercraft disappears from overhead and I punch Aidan right in the jaw.

I hear a crack and I figure I broke his jaw. He lets out a loud exclamation and grips his jaw. It's then, in that moment, that I see Gemini standing in front of Lily. Topaz is on the ground behind her, struggling to get up, and Gemini is aiming an arrow at her with her bow. Lily, defenseless, stands there rigid. It's only a second after I see the scene, until Gemini releases her arrow and it goes right into Lily's chest, piercing her left lung.

"No!" I scream, not even realizing it was me in the first place.

Lily falls to the ground, on her back. She grips the area where the arrow is and her mouth gapes as if trying to breathe. Her chest rises in effort, but then falls with no air. Gemini, satisfied, smiles as she backs away. Topaz is still lying there, watching Lily as her blood starts to turn the grass red. Aidan watches and doesn't even do anything as I race over to Lily and sit down beside her.

I hear Aidan say something, and the three remaining Careers leave. I let go of my trident and grip Lily's hand as her mouth struggles to form words. I can see the pain reflected in her face as it turns a ghostly white. Her lily-colored eyes, the ones that gave her the name, are grave and sad. She had wanted to win, for her baby brother or sister, but now she knows she won't.

"I want you to win," She whispers, her voice rough and barely audible, "You need to win."

"I will," I murmur, brushing her hair away from her face, "I will, I'll do it for you."

She pauses a bit before saying, "I thought I was going to win, I wanted to help my baby sister."

"You know it's a girl?" I say, "Tell me about her."

A bit of a smile comes on her face as she thinks about her soon to be baby sister, the sister she will never know, "I don't know much…" her voice falters and she tries to regain it, "only that she's a girl, and will be born soon."

"What did you want to name her?" I ask.

She thinks about it before saying the name, "Jasmine."

"Jasmine," I repeat, "That's a wonderful name. I know a story, about a girl named Jasmine."

"Really?" She whispers, looking at me, "What is it?"

I think about the story, the story that we had once been told as children. Finally I say, "A long time ago, where District 4 is now, there was a girl named Jasmine. She had beautiful, long, white hair, like the color of Jasmine Flowers, and her eyes were the same color as the sea. People said that she protected the sea and the flowers, making sure they were always in good care. They say that she stayed in a place, in a meadow, filled with jasmine flowers and the ocean just in view. These flowers were used for healing others, and it made people feel happy looking at them."

Lily's breathing was slowing and growing more ragged and painful for her. But she still listened, her golden-lily eyes on me.

"But then, one day, a large storm brewed up, killing Jasmine. When Jasmine was killed, the flowers were no longer in protection, and machines were built, factories were made. The beautiful nature scenery was gone to be replaced by high towers and buildings. The flowers lost their use, because medicines could heal. But then one day, a small little girl came by. She looked like Jasmine, with long, luscious white hair and deep, sea-blue eyes. She came to the meadow where all the jasmine flowers were long gone, replaced by stones and gravel and debris."

Her eyes fluttered, but she forced to keep them open. I could feel a large pain in my chest and I, too, felt like I couldn't breathe as I watched her die beside me.

"In the middle of the debris sat one patch of grass, the remaining of the meadow that had once been tucked away behind trees, now lay out in the open in front of the garbage-filled sea. The little girl had brought something, a flower. The flower was yellow with delicate leaves, it was nothing other than a lily. She leaned down and planted the lily in the small patch of grass and watered it everyday. Years went by, and that girl still visited. The lily grew and not only did it grow, it also spread. More lilies started popping up, and the meadow returned once again. The debris and stones were gone and the meadow was now filled with lilies. Jasmine lived again, through the lilies and the remnants of the jasmine flower, all thanks to the girl, and her small lily flower."

When I finished, Lily looked up at me, her eyes filled with tears. She was smiling only a little, and I had to strain myself to hear her murmur her last words, "Thank you."

Lily's eyes finally closed. Her breathing came to a slow stop and I could feel the tension in her limbs fade as she became limp. Her grasp on my hand was now weak and her hand idled in mine. It only took a couple of seconds after that for her cannon to go off.

I slipped away from her and stood up. She lay on the ground with the arrow still in her lung, but I don't bother in taking it out. I step back, too worn down to cry, as I begin to walk away. I can hear the hovercraft go over her body and I figure she's being taken away. I wonder if she'll be safe, wherever she is now. I hope so.

I walk through the forest aimlessly, thinking about Lily's death. She had asked me to win, and now I had no choice but to win. I have to win, not only for me or my mother, but for Lily as well. And when I win, I'm going to make sure that her baby sister would never know what hunger is, even if Lily couldn't do that herself.

"Don't worry, Lily," I whisper, as if somehow she can hear me, "your baby Jasmine will be safe."

**A/N: If you noticed, there are some similarities between Lily's death and Rue's death. I did that on purpose, because I thought it would be nice if there was a connection between them. The story that Finnick told her, had a very deep meaning to it, if you can figure it out. Tell me what you think by reviewing, you might be right!**


	13. The Big Bang

Chapter 13: The Big Bang

I lie up in a tree as the night sky shows first Flint's face and then Lily's. I stare up at both of them, realizing the connection between the two. They had both been my allies at one time, and today they were both dead. The grief for Lily's death sent a hollow pain in my chest. I grip my chest where my left lung is, exactly where the arrow had pierced Lily. She was safe now, that's all that mattered.

I count in my head the amount of Tributes left. It had been just over a week and there was only 6 Tributes left, including myself. District 4 was the only District with both tributes alive. I can only guess that the Capitol and District 4 are having a field day with that.

Below me are sets of traps and snares that I had gathered after Lily's death. I had taken the ones around our previous camp, the place where Lily was killed. Her blood and Flint's blood was still spread out across the grass, glinting in the moonlight. I couldn't even look at it as I gathered the traps and went back to my tree.

I roll one of the berries I had found in Lily's backpack in between my fingers. I pop it in my mouth and open up its delicate skin. The sweet juices fill my mouth and I swallow, feeling its delicacies enter me. There are only a few left, and I now know I will have to ration.

Exhaustion over comes me, so I wrap Lily's sleeping bag over me. I keep one hand on my trident as I slowly fall asleep. When I wake up, it's almost dawn, but I don't bother in getting up. I feel like I did back at home before I have to go to school, but this time it's grief and misery that keeps me down.

I shake my head and sit up after a little bit. I stuff everything into her backpack before leaning against the main part of the tree. I have nothing to do, and I'm not hungry or thirsty, so I take some vines nearby and begin to weave some more nets. The heat is excruciating as it is everyday, but I keep working, my fingers working tirelessly.

I always do this when I feel stressed or upset. I take rope, or in this case vine, and start tying it and knotting it or making nets or traps. After my father and brother died I made up a whole lot of nets that we used on the boat I worked on. It was something to keep me busy, something to keep my mind off of things I didn't want to think about.

I'm busy working away on my nets when I hear a rustle down bellow. I freeze and look down, seeing a shape walk near the tree. I see the row of traps I had set out that were invisible to him since I hid them under the dirt. I can't recognize who it is, but I can tell it's a man. It must be Will, from District 8, since none of the other male Tributes besides me would be out alone.

Will wipes some sweat off his brow as he leans down on the ground. He looks exhaustion and somewhat delirious from dehydration most likely. He's panting heavily and he keeps wetting his lips with his dry tongue. I internally beg him to step forward, so that he can fall into my trap I have devised.

It's then, suddenly, that I hear someone else coming. My body stiffens again, and I think that maybe he has an ally, until I see Topaz come out. She looks exhausted as well and has some wounds on her body. She grips a bow with arrows slung over her shoulder. She freezes when she notices Will, and he does the same.

She raises her bow and slides in an arrow as Will stands up, a spear in hand.

"You shoot me I'll shoot you," He growls at her, raising his spear, ready to throw it, "Where are the rest of the Careers?"

"Back at camp," She answers, "Left 'em."

"Interesting," He says, only mildly curious, "Too bad, though, you chose the wrong time to leave."

"Maybe you should say the same about yourself," She replies, her voice bitter as her eyes narrow.

"Leave it, fishy," He snaps, "You're dead meat."

And it's just when he leans back to throw when my trap reacts. He steps back onto the trap and he's soon flung into the air. His spear lands on the ground in front of a stunned Topaz as he dangles in the air with his foot entangled in the vines. I know this is my chance, and that I'll have to kill him now. I steel my heart, grip my trident, and then throw it directly at him. The trident goes right through his chest and his cannon goes off almost immediately.

Topaz is still standing there, flabbergasted, and ready to shoot her arrow but frozen to the spot. I take Lily's backpack and swing it over my shoulder as I slip my knife and sword under my belt and take my spear. I slide down and get to a branch directly in front of the dead Will.

He hangs limply, his mouth frozen in a scream he never released and his eyes wide and empty. Blood trickles down his chest and drips onto the ground below. I yank my trident out of him and more blood gushes out, some falling on me and some falling on the ground. I barely even flinch as I wipe the blood off of my trident and then jump down to the ground.

Topaz is still in her stance, but now staring at me in shock. I would laugh if I hadn't just killed another man. I rest the bottom of my trident on the ground so that it's standing straight up as I lean to the side.

"Better not stay like that you may not be able to move next time," I say in a somewhat bored voice, the amusement in me taken right out.

She glares at me and turns her bow and arrow towards me. I don't even move, I stay where I am leaning against my trident. She still looks shocked to see me, but her brown eyes are narrowed directly at my head.

"Quiet or you're dead," She hisses at me, "I don't care what happened with us before, these are the Games and you have to kill to win."

"You're right," I say, which throws her for a loop, "About that. But not right about the dead part. You won't kill me, in fact I think you went out here to come and find me."

"That's not true!" Topaz snaps, even angrier now, "The Careers were turning on me, I had to get out!"

"Fine, I'll let you by with that one," I shrug my shoulders, "But if you were planning on killing me, you would've done it already instead of standing here talking with me. The same thing with Will there."

She grits her teeth together and she asses me before lowering her weapon. She's angry, I can see that, but I know I got through to her. I'm a bit relieved, but I remain cold, unsure if I'm ready to trust her again.

I smile and say in complete mockery, "See I knew you would turn around, baby."

"Shut up," She growls, "We're not allies anymore, you decided that when you left the Careers. They weren't even turning on you."

"They would've," I say, "And we can be allies. It's better than wandering around alone with the threat of the Careers or Citrine blowing you up than being with someone who has your back."

"How do I know I can trust you?" She asks, narrowing her eyes.

I lean forward, still gripping my trident, as I whisper, "Because you told me about Aquaria."

She flinches back and argues hotly, "I told all of Panem about that basically."

"But it was directed towards me," I say, "You know I won't kill you…" I grin wickedly and add, "Yet."

She laughs, but it's hollow and lifeless. "Funny," She says sarcastically, then pauses before taking out her hand, "Allies then."

I shake her hand and say, "Allies."

There's a bit of silence before Topaz says, "Now what?"

"Well," I take out a large amount of vines from Lily's backpack, "I'm carrying around vines to make traps, it's worked out pretty efficiently."

"I can tell," She nods over to where Will's body once was before the hovercraft came and took him.

"Anyways," I go on, ignoring her last comment, "I think we should find a water source."

"The Careers still have the river," Topaz points out, "And ever since we found that pond of yours they've had that too."

"Then we'll just keep looking," I say as I start to walk off and she follows, "For the mean time I have some berries Lily kept."

I hand her them as she looks them over and then pops some in her mouth. I follow, but leave some until later. The berries give us something to suck on, it has the juices, which relieves my aching throat only a little bit. We walk on as the sun rises slowly and the heat grows.

"What was it about her?" She finally asks, "Why did you become allies?"

"There are a lot of reasons," I sigh, "if you knew you would understand."

Topaz glances at me, as if wanting to ask, but she doesn't press it. Silence hangs in between us as we walk yet again.

Finally she says, "I wonder what that District 3 girl, Citrine, has been doing. We haven't seen her since that first explosion."

"Who knows," I shrug, "Probably off hiding and waiting until all of us kill each other."

Topaz laughs a bit as we continue walking. It's only a few more yards until Topaz stops me. She points to the ground and I look ahead of me as I see a trail of water. My mouth burns as I look at it and we both rush forward. But what we're met with is definitely not water.

We run straight into the Careers. We freeze as we see each other only a little ways away. Gemini is holding a spear in her hand while Aidan grips his sword. They're loaded with new weapons, obviously recently found from the Cornucopia. Aidan steps forward, until Gemini shouts.

"Wait!" She screams at Aidan, who freezes.

She points to a tree in between us. We all look up and, to my surprise, there sits Citrine. She smiles at us and waves in such a mocking way it's not even funny. I grip my trident and am about ready to lunge, when something stops me.

Everything seems to appear in slow motion now. Citrine slams an axe (possibly the only axe I've seen in this arena) down hard on a large branch below her. The she scrambles quickly away. It only takes me a millisecond as the branch begins to fall that this is some sort of trap.

I grab Topaz's arm and tug her backwards, right as the branch falls and the whole forest goes up in flames.


	14. Rising Flames

Chapter 14: Rising Flames

When the explosion starts once the tree falls on the ground, Topaz and I are blown backwards. I fall hard on my back and a loud roar goes through the entire arena, making my ears rings. Everything is one fire now, and multiple explosions can be heard else where. The ground is shaking and trees are beginning to fall.

Topaz shouts something at me that I can't hear over the roaring of the forest. She then grabs my wrist and hauls me to my feet. She has a deep cut on her forehead and my arm is bleeding badly. She starts to run, and I'm about to follow her, when I notice I don't have my trident.

I freeze and almost fall over as the earth jerks again. I look around the fiery abyss for the golden weapon that has kept me alive. I scan the area and I think I hear Topaz shout something again, but I ignore her. I then see the trident, lying right next to a wall of flames.

I race towards it, ignoring Topaz's next scream at me. I dodge falling branches and waves of fire and I stumble a few times as the ground jerks. I can't hear anything except from the roar of the explosions. I feel a gust of air sweep by me and I look up, seeing a large branch fall down. I dive to the ground as it falls right where I'm standing, seeing another wall of fire blaze up.

I grab my trident which is now in front of me, shouting as the heat from the metal burns my hands. I stand up, seeing fire every where and the ground still shaking, but starting to settle. I hear Topaz again, but she's behind the new fire that has come up. I only see one way out, and that's starting to close up as flames engulf a near by tree.

I take a deep breath, then start coughing as smoke begins to rise up. My eyes are tearing because of it and my throat burns from it. Each breath is excruciating as I take in the deep smoke. But I grip my trident hard, ignoring the searing heat, as I race through.

I scream as fire has latched onto my leg. I fall to the ground, unable to support the weight on it. I twist and turn, trying to get it out. Once I finally do, I don't bother in looking at the wound, because I already know that it hasn't burnt the nerves on my leg because I can feel the horrible pain tingle in me.

I don't have enough energy to get up though, and the fire seems to grow with each second. The smoke seems to be settling around me, threatening to suffocate me and the ashes fall on my back. That's when I see Topaz.

"Finnick!" I can hear her now, because the explosions have stopped but the fire rages on.

She runs over to me and tries to lift me up, but she can't support my weight. She tugs again and I give out a yelp of pain. She looks around wildly as the flames inch closer to us, her brown eyes wide with fear and her golden hair crazed and some of it burnt off so that it lies on her shoulders.

"I need you to help," She tells me, "I can't carry you on my own!"

I grit my teeth, and force myself to nod. As she lifts me up, I use my good leg to support me. I gasp as the pain in my right leg shoots through me and I almost fall to the ground again. She supports me on my right side as she leads me through the flames. I'm thankful that this is a natural fire caused by bombs and not one created by the Gamemakers, or else there would be some sort of twist.

We both limp through the fire at a surprisingly slow speed. The fire is at our heels, but we push ahead. I give out a cry of pain every now and then, for the burning pain in my leg is too much to bear. Just when I think I'm about to either die or collapse, I see an end.

The burning trees begin to end and I see the expanse of emptiness again. The heat of the fire and the air is making me dangerously dehydrated and making my vision and thoughts obscured. My eyes are tearing and each breath is painful as I take a step, dragging my bad leg behind me.

There's absolutely nothing here except for the sand-colored grass. Some smaller fires rage out here because of the heat, but it has nothing to catch on to and it soon dies. I can feel the edges of unconsciousness poking through me as my mind becomes foggy and everything seems to dance around me.

It's then that the whole world disappears and everything goes dark.

…...

The first thing I wake up to is the horrible pain in my right leg. It's a bit better than it was before, but is still excruciating. I feel the heat of my surroundings and it's so hot that I think I'm still in the fire. That's when I gasp and open my eyes, but my panic dissipates as I realize where I am.

I see a large amount of rocks, and I notice that we're in that rock area that I saw in the beginning of the games. The sun is starting to set and a high, pointed rock provides us shade. It's a bit like a cave, except that it's still outside, but the pointed rock provides a roof and shade.

I'm relieved when I realize I can hear, but my left ear still rings. I hear a bit of clanging and I lift my head up a bit. I see Topaz there, arranging our gear and sorting through some food. She caught a rabbit it looks like, and it's out in the sun with rocks under it, cooking it. I also notice that my clothes are cleaner than they were, but not damp anymore since it probably evaporated. There are some bottles of water in the shade and a nearly dry cloth over my leg wound.

I try to move, but the burn wound on my leg sends a shock of pain through me. I grunt and fall back down where I realize Lily's sleeping bag is under me. Topaz looks up and smiles a bit, seeing that I'm awake.

"Welcome back," She said, "I thought we lost you for a bit there."

"Obviously not," I choke out, my voice rough and croaky.

"Here," She hands me a newly filled bottle of warm water, "Drink."

I don't argue as I sip it, forcing myself to go slowly. I only drink half of it, knowing I'll have to ration with such poor water sources. I set it down as Topaz takes another bottle and puts it on my wound. It's still flaring red, but it's not down to the bone, thank god. She wets the cloth again and puts it back on top of the wound, making it sting a bit from touch.

"Where'd you get the water?" I ask, my voice not croaky anymore, but still slightly rough.

"I went back into the forest to see if the river survived," She said, "It didn't though, nothing did. It's all a wasteland back there now. So I searched around here, and I found some water crevices in between the rocks."

I rub my head and then ask, "How did the explosion start anyways? Like how did it destroy so much?"

Topaz sighs and leans back on the rock behind her and explains, "You know the land mines around the platforms we go up in?" I nod. "Well, since the Careers weren't there, Citrine deactivated them some how and dug them all up. There was also some other bombs in the Cornucopia that she took. Then through out all the days we've been here after the first explosion, she's been digging around and planting bombs. She connected them using the vines and waited a bit to see if anyone would step on one. It didn't happen, so she waited till we were close enough, dribbled some water trails to make sure we met up at the same place, and then set it off by sending down that branch."

I blink a couple of times, trying to process it since my brain is still a bit foggy. Finally I ask, "And how did you figure this entire thing out?"

Topaz smiles and says, "When I went to find water, I ran into her. I was about to kill her, but then figured I should get her story. I made her tell it."

"But…" I said, sensing something went wrong.

"But," She sighs, "She had a weapon and flung my bow out of my hands. When I went to get it, she was gone."

"Damn," I lean my head back, "I think she's the one we should all be trying to kill."

"Yeah," She shrugs her shoulders, "I guess so, but you need to rest."

I frown and just say, "I can't rest for two long, there's only 5 of us left. Maybe even less if anybody died in the explosion."

"We can only hope," Topaz says, "At least rest for tonight."

I'm about to argue, but I just say, "Fine, whatever."

"Good," She leans back and then says, "I guess we'll see in the sky tonight who died."

"If anyone died," I point out, "It could be possible no one died."

"If they didn't they will be seriously injured," She says, "So we'll all be weaken."

"Except for Citrine," I mutter.

"I don't know," Topaz murmurs, "She didn't look in too good of shape."

"She'll be better than the rest of us though."

"It doesn't matter," She waves it away, "Only one of us can win this thing."

I just look at her and nod, because there's no way to say anything to that. We both know that one of us will have to die, and it'll most likely be me because of how injured I am. It's hard to imagine that it's only been 3 days since I split up with the Careers, and so much has happened. The first week was a bit slow, but now everything seems to just come up out of no where. I guess that's what happens in the finale.

The sunsets and it's dark out, the coldness sets in. I settle down in Lily's sleeping bag, as Topaz sits beside me, shivering.

"Do you want to share?" I ask, opening it up a bit, "You're going to freeze to death."

She shook her head, teeth chattering, "No, I'm f-fine."

"Bull shit," I say, "Get in."

She sighs but reluctantly gets in. It's warmer with the both of us in and the bag reflecting body heat. I ignore the pain in my leg as much as possible as the night goes on. Then we hear the anthem and the symbol appears in the sky. We wait for a face to show, but nothing does and it goes away in an instance.

"No one died," I whisper.

"Nope," She shook her head, "No one."

I pause before continuing, "What are our plans for tomorrow?"

She looks at me and says simply, "We start hunting."


	15. The Hunt

Chapter 15: The Hunt

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! School has begun and I got caught up in it, but I'll try my best to put the chapters up a bit quicker now! This will also be a bit of a short chapter, because the next one will be long so I decided to split them up. Enjoy!**

It's dawn when I wake up with Topaz lying down next to me. Her breaths are soft and even and her eyes are closed. Her head lies on my shoulder and her hair falls in front of her face. I push her hair back as I try to sit up, ignoring the stab of pain in my leg.

Slowly I edge out of Lily's sleeping bag and look at my leg. The angry red color doesn't exist anymore and is now replaced by a softer red. It looks a bit better than before and the pain is not as intense, but it's hard to walk.

I struggle to stand and have to lean against the rock for support. I limp out into the open and look around, finally taking in my surroundings. I can still see the smoke rising from where the forest once stood, and the heat is just starting to rise again. Rocks are all around me and in the distance I can see the Cornucopia and the tree right by it. I think I see shapes by it, but I'm not sure.

I count in my head how many are left now. Aidan and Gemini are the only Careers, then there's Citrine who was never a Career, and me and Topaz who were former Careers. I wonder if Citrine will beat out all of us, since she has outsmarted all of us many times before. She has the smarts and the ability to beat us, but I promised my mother I would come back to her, and I would.

But that would also mean that Topaz would die, never reacquainted with her daughter. Just like how Lily was killed, trying to make sure her little sister never knew starvation. It's horrible what these Games have done, not only to its victims, but to the families as well. If I die, my mother will have no one left, and I'm afraid of what will become of her.

Yet again, all of these tributes have a story behind them. Like Lily did, like Topaz does, even Citrine, Gemini, or Aidan. And what about the ones I killed? Like Devan, or Will, or Thorn. Then there are people who I don't even know the names of, like my first kill, the boy from District 9; or the boys from District 5 and 12. I have caused families pain, I have made it so that a human being will never open their eyes again…what a monster I have become.

But as I start thinking about this, I banish it away to the unconsciousness of my mind. I told myself I couldn't be soft, I couldn't think about this, because then I'll be dead. No one wins for their compassion, and if I have to throw that away to get to my family, to my mother, then so be it.

I jump when Topaz stirs and the pain in my leg comes back again. I grunt and sit down on the warm ground and she groans and opens her eyes. She rubs her head and then sits up, looking around. She looks perplexed, as if she's not sure why she's here, then realization dawns on her and she sinks back down.

"Mornin'," I say, my voice dull.

"Yeah," Is her reply.

"Boy, you're cranky in the morning."

She glares at me, reminding me of all the other times she's been pissed off at me. This makes me laugh a bit, surprisingly enough.

"We need to get ready soon," She said as she started gathering her supplies, "We need to find food, water…and tributes."

"So then it's the Cornucopia," I answer, leaning back on the rock wall, "That's our only source now, thanks to Citrine."

"Yeah," Then she mutters quietly, "Bitch."

I smile and start gathering my things as I sit. I rip off my sleeves and tie them around my leg wound. I flinch as it stings from touch, but the bandage helps a bit.

"Ready?" Topaz finally asks once she's ready and I stand back up.

"As much as I can be," I say as I start to limp out into the hot sun.

I start sweating almost immediately as we start walking through the maze of rocks and stones. I struggle to stay quiet as we near the Cornucopia, but the pain in my leg is making me limp and make lots of noise. Topaz keeps glancing at me with a frustrated expression, which makes me even more frustrated so I try to walk normally.

That doesn't turn out to well and I have to bite my lip to stop my cries of pain from escaping. So I turn back to limping. But quietly.

When the Cornucopia is in sight and the rocks end, Topaz and I hide beside the few remaining rocks as we look at the expanse of land. There's no one there, and I see my traps have remained untouched. No one knows how to maneuver around them except me, but I notice something have been taken from the Cornucopia. Maybe someone did figure it out?

I look around for the others, knowing that there must not be that much space to hide in. The forest is rubble with rising smoke and there's only that tree. I'm guessing the Careers are by the tree, but where's Citrine? She makes me think over every step I take, because who knows where there might be a land mind beneath you.

I grip my trident harder as I look around for any signs of life. Nothing. Topaz then glances at me with a confused expression, as if thinking that we should go ahead. I shake my head though, thinking it's not good. Someone could be near by and if we reveal ourselves, we could be dead.

That is, until Citrine comes out. My mouth drops open as I watch her spring from the roots of the nearby tree and run towards the Cornucopia. As I sit there and watch in shock, Topaz runs out, chasing her down. That's when I come back to life.

"No!" I shout, "Topaz don't!"

But she's not listening as she pulls back an arrow and releases it. But Citrine dodges it just in time as she makes her way to the Cornucopia. I fling my trident towards her, but the pain in my leg makes me weak and it falls uselessly about a foot away from her. She's almost near my traps, but she's too smart for that.

As I limp over as fast as I can and grab my trident, I watch as she jumps over one of the traps and lands just in between another one. I grit my teeth together in frustration, wondering what I should do. She obviously watched us set the traps up and memorized where they were put, that's how she knew where to jump. But it's not like I can run after her, or else risking getting caught myself.

But Topaz doesn't think so. With a frustrated cry she runs towards Citrine and it's suddenly like everything goes in slow motion and it's Lily's death all over again. Citrine grabs a handful of food from the Cornucopia and then some water before jumping over another trap. Topaz, furious, runs forward and it's then that she forgets about the trap.

I can't do much, for I'm too far away to run over, and I can't run over. I just give a shout, reaching out my hand, as Topaz's foot steps on the trap. She's flung into the air and she screams as she's lifted from the ground. The trap encloses around her as she dangles in the air, being held by the trap that is secured to the Cornucopia. Citrine loses her concentration and falls, having her ankle trapped by the nets.

I run forward then, adrenaline rushing through me to get to Topaz. It's the adrenaline that relieves me of the pain in my leg and any other physical feeling. All I know is that I must save her, so that she can go back to her daughter again.

But that will never happen, because it's at that second where I see the knife slice through the air, and lodge inside of Topaz.


	16. The Rights We Have

Chapter 16: The Rights We Have

"_No!_"

I hear someone scream, as I see the knife slice into Topaz's body. And it's then that I realize, that I'm the person screaming. Citrine's eyes have widened and she slashes the net with her knife before running off into the rock maze. It's then that I see the Careers.

Filled with rage and revenge, I send my trident towards them. They both dodge it as they run for the food. I run after them, forgetting about my trident. Adrenaline rushes through me and the great desire for them to pay for they have done to Topaz sends me over the edge. And they know it too.

"Get the food at let's go!" Gemini snaps at Aidan, "He'll kill us if he has the chance!"

And they're right, I will. Right as I reach them I reach for Aidan's neck. My fingers strap around his neck, feeling his pulse under his skin. He squirms and shouts as Gemini slams the butt of her knife into my back. I fall then, and Gemini's about to slice my neck open, the blade just starting to touch my skin, until a roar comes.

We both look up and it's then that we see Citrine running, running towards us. Because all of the rocks are falling away, and heading right towards us. I think I hear Topaz scream something, I'm surprised she's still alive, as I push Gemini away and start scrambling up the Cornucopia.

No one else follows, in panic they all run, racing away from the boulders that tumble down the hill and towards the Cornucopia. They destroy my traps and make the ground tremble. I wait, I wait for a cannon to go off, but not a single one does. I open up my eyes and see the rocks begin to slow down.

It was obviously a plan of the Gamemakers to separate us or at least drive us away from the Cornucopia. Perhaps they are planning something? Well, they always are, aren't they? But when the rocks stop, I jump down. There's some rocks scattered around here, but most of them are up farther ahead.

It's then that I remember about Topaz. I run over to her as she looks down weakly. The knife is lodged into her side and blood is slowly dripping out, soaking the net and ground. I take out my own knife and cut the trap as she tumbles out. I grab her, holding her in my arms as I carry her over to a smooth place. I set her down on the grass with rocks all around.

"Finnick," She whispers, reaching out her hand. I hold it and lean in towards her as I brush away her hair. I feel a sense of defeat and pain wrap around me.

"It's going to be alright," I say, trying to hold myself together, "You'll be in a better place."

Topaz looks at me, her brown eyes now filled with tears. She doesn't want to die, no one does, but I sense there is something else.

"Take care of her, Finnick," She murmurs, a tear sliding down her cheek, "Take care of my daughter."

"I will," I whisper, "I promise, I will."

"I don't want to die," Topaz whispers, more tears running down her face.

I try my best not to cry myself, so I just brush away a tear with my hand, holding her hand in my left hand and her face in my other. "You will never die," I tell her, "You will live on, in my heart, and in the hearts of others. I'll never forget you."

She smiles sadly at me as she says, "Thank you, Finnick. Thank you for everything."

"No," I say and kiss her forehead, murmuring very quietly, "Thank you."

We stay like that, for a little bit, with my forehead against hers as her breathing slows down. I feel her tears wet my hand and her grasp on my other hand becomes a bit weaker.

"Finnick," Her voice is a mere whisper, barely audible, as she struggles to speak for the last time, "Finnick, remember this."

"What?" I ask her, feeling the tears well up in my eyes.

"Whatever you do, whatever you go through, always remember that you always have a choice and that no one can take that away from you."

I look at her as she sighs and closes her eyes. It's then that I lean in and kiss her, on the lips. They're wet from tears and cold from her slowly dying. But it's in that small second that I feel her kiss back. I lean back and then kiss her cheek as she opens her eyes to look at me. She smiles sadly, and it's then that her eyes glaze over, her breathing stops, and her cannon fires.

The tears start sliding down my own cheeks now as I lean back. I'm still holding her hand as I caress her face with my other hand. I close her eyes and then drop my hand. A great sadness wells up inside me as I see Topaz sitting in front of me, dead. She never deserved this.

Maybe we never loved each other, but we cared for each other. I wanted her to live if I did not, but now it's up to me. I told her I would take care of her daughter, and I will. If that means killing the others, then fine. I have killed before, three more to get back home, to seal that promise for Topaz and Lily, because like Topaz said, I always have a choice. And my choice is to live.

Maybe some people forgot they really have a choice. Topaz was right, no one can take that away from you, the right to choose what you do and what you don't. Maybe some people have forgotten about that, that they have the right to choose not to follow the Capitol's demands. Out of the very small amount of rights we have, we will always have the right of choice.

It takes some time for me to stand up and separate from Topaz's body. I stare at her for a long time, feeling the tears stream down my face. I don't care if I look weak right now, I don't care about anything, all I care about is to get home. I'm not going to go with the Capitol's plans, I will not follow the rules of this Game, I will do whatever I need to survive…because that's what I have chosen.

I walk away from her now, away from her forever. I pick up my trident that still lies on the ground and walk off. I don't know where I'm going exactly, but my feet lead me towards the forest, or what used to be the forest. It's rubble now, filled with ash and debris. I sift through it as I walk along, choking a bit on the smoke and smell.

I totally forget about getting food and water from the Cornucopia, or heading back to the camp where Topaz and I had stayed. I don't care much about it, because as far as I'm concerned, I'm not heading back there. No, I will not take any food or water, I will get it on my own. I will get everyone on my own without anybody's help, and that's how I will get out.

A plan starts to form in my head now, thinking of what I have to do. If all goes well, this will be one of the last nights in the arena. There are four of us left, and it all depends on who falls first. And that person won't be me.

I start thinking of the people I need to kill first. No allies will be made here, we are on our own, except for Gemini and Aidan. The last two Careers still stand tall and strong. I'm not at all surprised how Citrine has come this far, she is obviously smart. She should've been a Career, we could've used her.

I think back to all of the people I knew in these Games. I think of the people I killed, and then of the Careers that also died. Like Cara and Flint, they died Careers. Topaz is now dead too, a former Career. Well, there will have to be two more Careers that will have to die now, for me to go home.

It's then as I move through the rubble that I hear a noise. I freeze, feeling my instincts kick in. The depression and grief of Topaz's death weighs me down though, and I don't feel the need to fight. I don't even raise my trident as my sea-green gaze runs over the area around me.

"Jesus," Says a voice, "You scared me half to death!"

I turn, looking around for the voice. It's then that I see Citrine, walking out from behind a burnt tree that somehow managed to survive the explosion. She has some fresh blood on her and a new wound; she had probably been in a fight with the Careers.

I narrow my eyes, feeling the revenge for Topaz run through me again. I raise my trident and she raises her hands up in defense. I feel like I was when I confronted Lily and she convinced me to be allies. She ended up dead.

"Whoa, whoa!" Citrine exclaims, "I don't mean any harm, I was trying to look for you anyways."

"Oh yeah?" My voice is rough and I know I don't look that threatening with tears still in my eyes and leaving streak marks on my face, cleaning away the dirt. "Why? You were partly responsible for Topaz's death!"

"I'm sorry about that," She says, then shrugs, "But that's what happens. I didn't kill her, Gemini did. We're all at fault for her death, because she got trapped in one of your nets."

I hadn't thought of that before. The thought sends a pang of guilt and more pain hard into my chest. I lower my trident, not having the energy to fight anymore.

"What do you want?" I ask, my voice tired and filled with grief.

"I wanted to see if we can be allies," She said, lowering her arms as well.

"No," I say immediately. I start walking past her, but she stops me.

"Come on!" She says, putting her hand on my chest to stop me from walking off, "It'll help us both out to defeat the Careers!"

"Three of us will have to die," I say, "and we're down to the final four. Wouldn't it just be easier if I killed you now?"

"Maybe," She said, "But wouldn't be easier if you had someone else to fight against the Careers? And you know what I was able to do with the landmines, why do you think this whole forest is in ruins? I have brains and you have brawns, together we can defeat them!"

I think about it for a little bit, pausing, before saying, "And what will happen once we kill them?"

"Then the alliance is off and we fight," Citrine shrugs, "I'm not asking to have a relationship like Lily and Topaz had with you, I just think it'll be better off this way."

I narrow my eyes and think. What she says makes sense, and it'll be easier for us to get rid of the Careers together and deal with each other after wards then being separate. Our chance of survival is also higher, and she did get that food and water from the Cornucopia…

"Fine," I say, extending my hand, "Allies."

She shakes it and says, "Allies."

I nod as we shake hands, because I know this was the right thing to do. Not only that, but it's what I chose to do. Like Topaz said, we always have a choice, whether we know about it or not.

**A/N: This was a sad yet determined chapter. I figured that Citrine and Finnick would make a good team against the Careers. Like she said, she has the brains he has the brawn. Though I hated killing off Topaz, but it was her time. Hope you enjoyed (or at least thought it was interesting) this chapter!**


	17. Fighting Back

Chapter 17: Fighting Back

**A/N: So sorry this took so long to come up! I swear I'll try to post them more frequently!**

"_This _is your _camp_?"

The words utter out of my mouth before I can even stop myself. In my fog of misery, this has brought me back to life, and even given me some hope of getting home. As I take a look at Citrine's camp, I now know how she hasn't been killed and how she has been nearly unscathed and hidden most of the time here. I step forward as I take it in, not believing my own eyes.

At first when you come up to it, it just looks like a pile of ash and soot on top of burnt trees, but really that's a mirage. She had made a net-a simple one-that draped over the two trees that were tilting against one another, making a large triangle. In the space they left, the net hung in front, but was sprayed with ash and soot to make it seem like a large pile of it.

When you push away the net you see a small ditch. But covering the ditch are rocks jutting out the side. You can see a small hole that could fit probably me at the biggest size. When you look down you can see a small cave with many supplies that Citrine has stored.

Then there's a very small pool of water that was man-made. She had obviously dug a hole and retrieved water, filling it everyday. But it had shrunken dramatically, which was probably one of the reasons why she came to the Cornucopia. Along with food, since the scarce amount is beyond belief ever since the explosion.

"Amazing, huh?" Citrine says, smiling in pride, "It didn't used to be so well covered since I just used the ash and soot from the fire, but it was even better after the explosion!"

I frown slightly, wondering how she could be so proud of such a thing. That explosion was something that the Gamemakers would do by driving us all together. But then again, no one wins for their compassion, and if it'll help you win, then, well, you gotta' do what you gotta' do.

"Make yourself at home," She says as she slips down into the cave.

I follow warily, still unsure if I can trust her. I still partially blame her for Topaz's death, but I also blame myself too. I should've been taking better care of her, so that she could return to her daughter. Now it was up to me to bring the message back.

But I lower myself in anyways, and am slightly surprised when I don't see Citrine turn on me at all. She takes out some beef strips she had gotten from the Cornucopia as I sit down. It's slightly cramped with the both of us in here, but it's better than nothing and very well hidden. I wonder only for a little bit if we could stay here until the Careers would kill, I could definitely kill Citrine, but who knows what the Gamemakers will do to make us fight.

"Want some?" She asks then, handing out a beef strip as she chews on one herself.

I just shake my head, suddenly loosing energy. Grief weighs my whole body down and I feel just like I did with Lily's death, but worse. My muscles ache along with my injuries and I wish I could close my eyes and fall asleep, but when I do I just see Topaz's and Lily's deaths flash behind my eyes. Sadness settles in me like a storm to the sea.

"You need to eat something," She sighs and sits down in front of me, "I know you're upset about Topaz, but just eat the god damn thing!"

I don't know if it's the forcefulness of her voice that seems to bring me slightly back to life, or that I'm just too tired to protest, but I take it out of her hand. She seems satisfied now as I slowly chew on it, feeling the staleness and horrible quality of the beef, but I can't judge now-food is food.

The rest of the day goes by slowly, too slowly. All I can think about it Topaz, her daughter, then my thoughts will shift to Lily and her baby sister. How connected those two women were, with younger people depending on them to come home. They should've gone home, both of them, they should have never been picked for the Games. I should've protected them both better, so that I could've died and let them live on. Oh how I failed them so.

I barely notice what Citrine does during the day, but once she comes back inside I notice it's nighttime. Is that how long I've been sitting here thinking? No wonder it seemed so long.

That's when I hear the anthem. We both look up and through the hole in our cave we see the symbol of the Capitol wave in the air. Topaz's face comes up then, and I memorize her. She looks beautiful, breath-taking, but also deadly. She has a certain look about her that says _I'll whip your ass if I have the chance_. Her luscious golden hair falls over her shoulders and her brown eyes are hard, but there's a slight warmth to them also.

And then she's gone, forever, and I will never see her again.

"She wanted you to win you know."

I look up then, being jolted from my thoughts as Citrine spoke. We don't have the same connection as I did with my other two allies, Lily and Topaz, but more of what I had with the Careers-no speaking, we're just here to live, after that it's through.

"What?"

"She wanted you to win," She repeated, her gaze calm yet sympathetic.

"Why?" I shake my head, almost in distress, "Why? She should've gone home, to her daughter."

"She never thought she'd have the chance," Citrine explains, "I could just tell how she allied with you and how she acted before she died. She was trying to push you forward, so that you could go home to her family."

"But… _why_?" I ask again, feeling like a little child who won't be given an answer.

"Maybe there's something she knew that we don't."

I lean back and think about that. Maybe there was something she knew that the rest of us didn't. She was the mayor's daughter, maybe there was some information that she knew about. What was it though? Will I ever find out?

I have a feeling, though, that if I win, I will certainly find out.

"We should go to sleep," Citrine then says as I'm deep in thought again.

"Yeah," I just manage to say, "We should."

And that night, when I close my eyes, I see my past float around me once again.

…...

"_Finnick!"_

_I hear my mother calling me, her happy voice filling the air. I'm 7 years old as I run out of the house, my face covered with freckles and having a virtuous look about me. My sea-green eyes look around for my brother and father as they walk over to me._

_My father is a tall, muscular man, sharing the same eyes I do. He has dark brown, shaggy hair and carries a harpoon in one hand. He has a long, white box hooked under his armpit and in between his arm and side._

_My brother looks more like me, with golden skin and the same bronze-colored hair. He has different eyes though, and is more stocky than me. I, of course, am only 7. I plan to be just as big and strong as him one day, he will be proud._

"_Look what we got for you little bro!" My brother exclaims as he kneels down to my height as does my father._

"_Open it up," My father murmurs, placing the box in my hand._

_I hesitate, guessing what it could be. I rub my hands over the smooth cover before opening it up. What lies inside is beyond belief for me, I could have never guessed it._

_It was a trident._

"_A trident?" I gasp, staring at it's golden color and how it was slightly shorter than normal, perfect for my size._

"_Just for you, little buddy," My brother ruffles my hair, always calling me 'little' something. I don't think I ever remember him calling me by my actual name before._

"_Come on," My mother then says from behind, "You two will be late for work!"_

"_Right," My father straightens up and says, "I'm glad you like it."_

"Thanks Dad!" I exclaim, throwing my arms around him.

"_Don't I get a thanks too?" My brother says dramatically, crossing his arms in mock disappointment._

_I laugh and hug him too, "Thank you!"_

"_Now go on!" My mother shoos them away, "You'll be late."_

"_See you when I get home, Finn'," My father says, squeezing me tightly before he goes._

_I'm about to head inside, until my brother's voice stops me._

"_Hey, Finnick."_

_I turn, surprised he actually used my name. He has a serious look about him now, something that doesn't fit his personality._

"_Yeah?"_

"_Never forget this day, no matter what you've been through, just remember all the better days."_

_And I never will forget it, because that was the day when my brother and father were killed._

…...

"Hey, Finnick."

Instead of my brother's voice this time, I hear Citrine's. I wake up, feeling the same grief from all of the death's that have hit me before slam at me again. She's leaning in front of me, her eyes on me as she judges how I am.

"You up to it?" She asks me suddenly.

"Up to what?" I counter, narrowing my eyes.

She smiles slightly, sadly but also determined.

"To fight back."


	18. It's Never the End

Chapter 18: It's Never the End

My body aches as I start walking around. I limp a little from my burn on my leg, but not as bad as it was yesterday. Citrine is working on something as I practice with my trident. We're going to the Cornucopia once the sunrises, and once it does…

_I can either live or die._

"What are you working on?" I ask, walking over to her.

She lifts it up, just finishing, "I left one last land mine. I wasn't able to get it to work right before, but I think I got it."

"What will you do?" I murmur, leaning forward to inspect it.

"Well, I'll plant it somewhere," She instructs, "And while I'm doing that you need to distract them."

"And after that?"

"I'll try and get them over to the mine," She rubs her head, "and if not, well I'll just try to get a weapon and fight."

"It's iffy," I say, unsure if it'll work.

"It's all we have," She stands up now, "Do you need anything?"

"No," I say, shaking my head, "Only my trident."

"Here," She takes two knives from my pack, "Take these, just in case."

I hesitate and then nod, taking them from her hands and slipping them under my belt.

"Ready?" She asks me.

"Ready to die you mean?" I laugh hollowly, "Or live?"

"Either."

I smile sadly, "The most I can be then."

"Well, then, let's go."

It's hard to even tell what I'm feeling as we make our way through the ashes and over to the Cornucopia. The heat is unbearable as ever, but I can barely tell. For all I know, this could be my last day at life. That thought normally would send me nuts, but now it's normal-it's something that has been going on ever since the Reaping.

Today I might die.

"It's up to you now," Citrine murmurs as she starts to go into another direction as the Cornucopia comes into view.

"Good luck," I say dully.

She just stares at me, then slowly nods before running over. She knows the consequences, only one out of the four us will come out alive.

I don't see Aidan or Gemini when I reach the Cornucopia. My heart starts to beat rapidly as I look around and see no one other than Citrine behind the Cornucopia. I start to pace, wondering what's taking so long. I see that still some of my traps have made it, which I'm surprised by.

And that's when the arrow goes right through my shoulder.

I scream a blood-curdling scream as I grip my shoulder. A fiery pain crawls up through my body and I crumble to my knees. I see Gemini and Aidan come out from where they were in the tree. I know I have to get the arrow out of my shoulder, so I grip it hard and yank. I scream again as a shot of pain like a lightning bolt goes through me and my other hand grips the ground for support.

"Get him!" Aidan shouts.

Gemini brings back her arrow in her bow and starts to shoot again. I notice that she's near one of my other traps that lies randomly around the area. Now all I have to do is get her in it. With my good arm I take the knife in my belt and fling it towards her. She jumps back, losing her aim and falling right into the trap. It springs up and surrounds her, bringing her down.

"Get him, Aidan!" Gemini now screams as she struggles through the net.

Despite my injuries, I'm still quicker than him. I take my trident and start to run, ignoring the protests my body is making. He races after me and sends a dagger my way. I just barely get away from it as I send my trident towards Gemini.

It scours her back, she screams, falls silent, and a cannon goes off.

"That's for Topaz and Lily, you bitch," I snarl under my breath.

I yank it out of her, sending more blood coming out of her back. She's dead and silent, her jet-black hair falling over her empty face. I don't have time to feel guilty now for killing her for vengeance, most likely I'll die soon.

I feel a large weight slam into the back of my neck. I fall to the ground, feeling everything black out. I hear some noises and a shout. I blink a couple of times, my sight returning. When I turn around, I see Citrine there. With a sword she had picked up from the Cornucopia, she slashes it against his spear. He dodges easily as she strikes forward.

I jump up now, sending my trident towards him. It misses though and I pull back as he slashes towards me. Aidan shouts something at me I can't hear, so I dive forward again. But this time when he jumps back, he falls right into Citrine's sword.

He gags as the sword meets his back and goes through his body. I see it come out of his stomach and it takes all I can not to scream from the sight. And he's still alive, oh god he's still alive. He crumbles to the ground, gripping his wounded area. All I do is stand there in horror as I see the scene keep going and going.

_Just die! Just die already!_

He struggles to breathe, to do anything. He reaches out his hand but then it falls uselessly on his side. Citrine and I just stare in horror as we see the blade sticking through his entire body and watch him slowly die. Finally, just finally, his whole body goes limp and a cannon fires.

_That seemed like forever, but it was so quick. Two Careers gone...like that. But now…_

I slowly look up from Aidan's body and over to Citrine. Her eyes have hardened and now she reaches towards Aidan and pulls the sword out of his body. It's quick and painless to him, but a horrid picture to me. With a sword covered in Aidan's blood, Citrine leaps towards me.

_So much for allies._

I raise my trident and block her blow. I lower it again as she aims again and metal clashes on metal. I dive forward this time and she jumps back. Before I can pull away, she slashes the sword towards me and it catches on my side.

I gasp and bring my hand to it, feeling blood on my hand. But the adrenaline pumping through me takes away all physical pain. I must live, I must live-that's the only thought running through me right now. Death is not an option.

She leaps at me again, driving her sword towards my leg. I pull back just in time, but it nicks my leg, sending blood crawling down my leg. I grit my teeth and slam the butt of my trident into her side. She falls to the ground before kicking her leg out and at me. I tumble down also as she gets to her feet.

Citrine points the sword at my neck now, her eyes narrowed coldly and her body covered in blood like mine is now. Right as I think she's going to kill me, she hesitates, and that's when I take my chance.

I strike my trident towards her abdominal area. She jumps back though, but clutches the area as if I struck her. I stand up as she sends the sword down on me again. It slashes down my back as I just barely get out of her path. I grunt as a small prick of pain runs down me. I can't feel much of anything, the adrenaline is so strong inside of me.

I whip around and punch her in the side. She falls to the ground now as I aim to bring my trident down on her. She rolls out of my way as my trident meets the ground. I yank it out as she jumps up and hits the butt of her sword in my head. I gasp and fall, clutching my head as it pounds with pain. I feel the adrenaline weaken and now a whole shock of pain waves over me. All I can feel is pain.

She's just about to kill me, but I'm quicker. I send my trident forward but it misses as she jumps away. I get to my feet quickly, struggling through my pain as I race towards it. The adrenaline is starting to pump through me again, but it's weaker and I can still feel the excruciating feeling run through me. She runs after me and right as I turn around with the trident she leans forward. But I don't allow her, and I end it quickly.

My trident digs into Citrine's arm and she screams as I pull it back. She falls to the ground, gripping her arm that hangs loosely. I stare in horror for only a second as I see that the trident went right through the bone before jumping towards her again. I am a monster now, there's no stopping me.

Despite her period of pain, she scrambles back before I can get to her. Gripping her arm she struggles back, straightening up and taking another step. I look behind her and notice we're getting close to the land mine. She takes another step and so do I. I don't know what to do, but I keep following her. Finally, she stops.

She grits her teeth and hisses something, frustrated. Before I can do anything she shoves me back wards and when I fall to the ground, she takes the knife from my belt and steps back again. I just manage to stand up as she starts to speak.

"Good luck, Finnick Odair," Her voice is a hiss, warped in pain and cruel mockery, "We'll see who the real winner is."

Then she slams the knife into the ground, and everything explodes.

I'm thrown backwards, feeling the heat scour my skin. I scream as things whip against me and burn marks appear on my skin. I slam into the ground farther away as everything bursts into flames. The trident is still in my hands as flames dance around me. There's a loud rumble and the Cornucopia crumbles to the ground in front of me.

In the height of the heat, the fire, the excruciating pain I'm in, and the horrors I've seen in only a little while, I somehow hear a voice. A voice I thought I would never hear.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to announce the victor of the 65th Hunger Games, tribute of District 4-Finnick Odair!"

And then I black out.


	19. The Victor's Defeat

Chapter 19: The Victor's Defeat

**A/N: Ok, this is a major warning going out. If you haven't ready Mockingjay then there may be some spoilers at the end. And the ending is very disturbing, and if you have read Mockingjay you will know what happens to Finnick after he is a victor. It's quite sick, but I had to put it in there because it's apart of Finnick's past (trust me, I did not want to put it in here). So this is a precaution, just warning you ahead of time!**

The first thing I wake up to is a steady beeping sound. My body feels weighed down despite how skinny I am. I ache everywhere and I can't think straight. When I finally force my eyes open I see that I'm in a room with all sorts of things strapped to me. The scars on my body are gone along with the wounds I received in the arena.

Wait, the arena. I'm out, right? I'm about to think the worst, thinking that this is one of the Capitol's tricks. Then I think that the Games never happened-yes, that's right it was all a dream. I never killed those people in the arena, Topaz and Lily are still alive, Aidan didn't die an awful death and Citrine was never blow to bits by the landmine.

But when I see a Capitol doctor walk in and start checking on the machines hooked up to me, I know that it all happened. I don't know if it's because of how unstable I am or because of everything that has happened in the past week or so, but I begin to cry. Then I'm sunk back into the darkness they call unconsciousness.

When I wake up again, the beeping sound is gone and I'm free of the machines. My body still aches slightly, but I'm able to move it. I sit up warily, still feeling like I'm in the arena and every move could mean death-especially with Citrine and those landmines.

But then I remember that Citrine's dead along with Topaz and Lily. She was blown up by her own invention. Topaz was killed by Gemini who I later killed and Lily was also killed by Gemini. At least I had the satisfaction of killing her, revenge for what she did to them. But then I remember the other people I killed; Will from 8, Devan from 4, Thorn from 11, Gemini from 2, Flint from 2, the boy from District 9, the boy from District 5, and the boy from District 12. When I add it all together, the number astounds me and makes me sick and horribly guilty. 8. 8 people are dead because of me, 8 families are in fury that I won, 8 people will never see the world again. Because of me. All because of me.

The guilt that hit me in the arena was only a small amount compared to this. Now that I'm not focused on living, I get the whole ordeal. I start crying again, like a little boy. But I am a little boy, aren't I? I'm only 14, and yet already a murderer. I curl up in my bed and think of the 8 people that I have killed. Why, oh god why, did I have to enter the Games?

My life is ruined.

The next following days are a blur to me, it's mostly me getting enough strength for the Victor Ceremony and the Interview with Caesar. When I'm finally allowed out of the room, the first person I look for is Mags.

And when I walk out, I hear my name being called. I turn and see Mags there, a cane in hand but a smile stretched wide. Then there's Ebony there too, obviously looking the most pleased I've ever seen her. I'm sure she had rather have Topaz win, but I guess she'll take me. I then run towards them, and I practically topple Mags over when I hug her.

I realize how much I've missed her garbled language when she says, "I told you, you could do it."

"Thanks Mags," I say, leaning back, "Thanks for everything."

When I turn to Ebony, she just gives out a handshake. "A handshake is good enough for me," She says, and I return it, smiling for the first time in a week.

I'm sent back to my room then, to get ready for the ceremony. They're dressing me in a nice suit, nothing spectacular. I can't help thinking, though, that this whole building used to have 24 kids in it, now there is only 1. Why? Because they're all dead.

When I'm suited up, I go into the elevator and I feel it bring me down to the basement. When I step out Mags is there, smiling at me still. I wonder how she's managed this for so long, by being a mentor. I don't know how I will handle it, I feel like I will break down when I think about all the other tributes that didn't make it.

"Ready?" Mags asks me.

"As much as I can be," I answer, remembering how many times somebody asked me that in the arena.

"Then go into the platform," She tells me.

I do so then, stepping inside. I start to hyperventilate though, because it's so similar to the one we went up in the Games. I gulp and close my eyes, trying to calm myself, but my beating heart will not slow. I start to shake, and that's when I feel myself drift up. Finally I manage to pull myself together by the time I've reached the stage.

"Finnick Odair!" Is all I hear and the crowd goes wild.

I flash a seductive grin as I stride out and over to the middle of the stage. I give a bow and a few winks to the audience, feeling sick inside. Hell, you give the audience what they want, right? At least I'll be able to go home now, and just come back each year for the Games.

There's a chair on stage in which I go over to. President Snow then comes out, his beady eyes on me. I shiver a little and I feel that hatred directed at him come up again. But I try to look pleased when he takes the crown from the little boy and places it on my head. I sit down and then the lights dim down. Everybody is quiet as I watch my life in the arena unfold.

It's mostly of me and Topaz and our close bond. Like how we stuck together with the Careers, and our talk that night about her child. Then they show our struggle as Careers until I run off after I killed Will. I find Lily then and it switches off between Lily and I and Topaz with the Careers. I feel guilty that I left after I see her frantic search for me, terrified that I was taken and am being killed right this moment.

_I should've protected you better, Topaz._

Then they show that fight between Lily and I and the Careers. I see myself kill Flint and I feel the guilt grow inside of me. It has been growing from the beginning of the clip, getting worse and worse with each kill. I struggle to stay calm, but it's hard watching everything that happened.

Then they show Lily's death and I feel the guilt pressure inside me more. I also feel the ache and sadness as raw as when she died. Was it really only a week ago she was still alive? That they were all alive?

They show me on my own for a little while and Topaz with the Careers. Then they show me with the traps and how I killed the others. Then there's me and Topaz as partners. I watch our bond grow even more as we struggle to survive. Then the day comes where she dies.

I watch her die in my arms, and I have to grit my teeth together to stop me from breaking down. It then turns into me aimlessly going through forest, showing my depression over her death. Then I run into Citrine, prepared to kill her but then become allies. They skip over the day where I just sit and do nothing, still grieving. Finally they go to the last day in the arena

They show the scene without taking anything out. Me killing off Gemini and saying, "That's for Topaz and Lily, you bitch." They definitely wouldn't have cut that out. Then it goes to Aidan's death. I can barely watch it again as the sword scours through his body and he dies such a slow and painful death. I have to look away after a while, and finally once he's dead, I look back.

They show me and Citrine fight, our alliance over. Then finally when she steps on the landmine, nothing happens. She pushes me, takes my knife and once I stand up, she says the words that still ring in my head each night.

"Good luck Finnick Odair, we'll see who the real winner is."

Then my knife is stabbed into the ground and I see her body fall apart in bits as I'm flown backwards. They take a look at all my wounds and I see how badly damaged I am. My eyes are slightly open when they announce me the winner and I black out.

I'm barely in the right state of mind when they end the ceremony and I'm taken back up to floor 4. I rub my temples, trying to get the pictures of those days out of my head. With shaky legs I head into my room and collapse onto my bed, passing out.

When I wake up, my prep team comes in. I barely pay attention to them as they dress me in another suit. I feel exhausted and definitely not up to this interview. But they tell me I have to, and when I meet up with Mags she seems to brighten my day a bit.

"Come on," She says, leading me to the room where the interview will be taking place.

Caesar Flickerman is already there and he stands up to shake my head.

"Welcome back, Finnick!" He says, smiling.

"Thanks, Caesar," Is what I say, because I bet he wouldn't appreciate me going on about how 23 other people didn't come back and won't be getting this welcome.

"Please, sit down and we'll begin," He directs me, still smiling.

I nod and sit down and the lights on the camera turn on as Caesar begins. I put on the best grin I can muster up in my state and push away thoughts of the Games as best as I can.

"So, Finnick," He begins, "I'm sure you're happy you have won the Hunger Games, and you're one of our youngest winners yet!"

"Oh yeah," I nod and force out a laugh, "I sure am proud."

"Are you excited to go back home to District 4? And to your mother?" He asks, still smiling.

"My mother especially," I say, and I'm actually being honest, "She was the only reason I kept fighting in there."

"With such a sweet mother as yours, I don't blame you!" He exclaims, "She took good care of you after your father and brother died."

"Yeah, she did," Is all I give him, because it's hard to imagine that I've lost people before the Games.

Caesar moves on, "So I see that there was a special connection between you and Topaz in the arena. Was it just friendship?"

I hesitate, because I never like talking about Topaz. Maybe we weren't in love, but there was _something _there. Maybe we had been more friends than girlfriend and boyfriend, but I know something was there in fact of feelings towards her.

"It's a bit complicated," I finally say, "Even I'm not sure. But I cared for her, and if it had been between me and her at the end, I would've let her win."

"And what about her child?" Caesar's voice is now sympathetic, "Aquaria?"

"Well, I promised I would take care of her," I look at my hands and back up at him, "So that's what I'll do."

It goes on like that for a while, talking about things from the Games and outside. Finally he moves on to Lily.

"So what made you become allies with Lily?" He asks me.

I hesitate again, because both Lily and Topaz are sensitive topics for me. Finally I say, "I had met her during Training, and she seemed smart and strong, and I liked her as a friend. She was my friend, and I failed in protecting her just like I did with Topaz."

"Do you feel you made it right?" His tone is now grave, "When you killed Gemini?"

"Yes," Is all I allow, because I felt that that was the only thing I could do to repay them for their lost lives.

Suddenly times up and Caesar ends it. At the end he shakes my hand and says to see me in the Victory Tour and I leave.

I press the button for floor 4 and I go up there in silence, alone. When the doors open, I'm met with two Peacekeepers. Shocked, my fists clench and I'm about to punch one of them when the other speaks.

"Come with us, sir," One of them tell me.

I pause, thinking if I should just knock them out, but reluctantly I follow. They lead me to my room which has two other Peacekeepers in front of the door also. They open the doors and I'm immediately met with the scent of roses and blood. I grit my teeth together, trying not to gag as they push me in. Then I see him.

President Snow.

He's sitting in the middle of my room on a chair and another one in front of him, behind the coffee table that separates the two chairs. He looks up from reading something and waves me over. With stiff legs I go over, my heart beating rapidly and breathing through my mouth.

"Please, sit," He says after setting down the newspaper her was reading.

I sit down and am silent, waiting for him to speak.

"Finnick," He then says, "I'm sure you are wondering what I'm doing here, and it's very simple. I wanted to get this out of the way before you turned 16. There's something I need you to do for me."

"What's that?" I ask, trying to be brave but failing.

"I'm sure you understand your…affect on the people of the Capitol," He begins to explain, "They love you Finnick, and they want you as theirs. So once you turn 16, I want you to do whatever you can to…pleasure them."

"Pleasure them?" I echo, trying to comprehend what he was saying, "Wait, do you mean like have _sex _with them?"

The thought is so horrid, so disturbing, that I can't hide the look of pure horror crossing my face. So, what, will I have to go from woman to woman by having sex with them? The thought is so devastating and so protruding on my own body I have to do all I can to not punch him. How…how horrible that sounds! Why, why would I ever do that? I wouldn't!

"Exactly," He says.

With a shaky hand I rub my forehead, letting it sink in. President Snow wants me to sell my body to women from the Capitol. To have meaningless sex with them, just a line of countless women drones ahead of me. I will never find that girl that I want to marry, no I will have to do _this_.

"And if I refuse?" I ask, because I'm just about to.

"Then I'll kill your mother."

I freeze then, letting the words ring inside my head. If I refuse to sell my body to the women of the Capitol, then my mother, my own mother, will be killed. No, he must be bluffing, he would never do that! So I do what I have to do.

"No," I say, standing up, "There's no way that I will do that."

President Snow looks at me calmly before standing up as well. "Very well, Mr. Odair," He starts to walk out, and right when he has the door open, he says, "You will see the consequences of your actions."

And it's only a few hours later when I am delivered a disk. With shaky hands I enter it into the television and watch something pop up on the screen. I'm seeing a woman, beaten and bloody with people yelling at her. Her own screams emanating from the TV. I now realize why Topaz wanted me to win and why Citrine committed suicide. It's because they knew something like _this _would happen to them if they won. And I now stare in horror, because I realize who this woman is who is being kicked and beaten and electrocuted and finally shot in the head with a gun.

That woman is my mother.


	20. Following the Mockingjay

Chapter 20: Following the Mockingjay

It's been 2 months since my victory of the 65th Hunger Games. 2 months since I watched 23 tributes plummet to their deaths. 2 months since Topaz and Lily were taken away from me. 2 months since I saw the horrible deaths played in front of me, like Aidan being sliced in two by a sword or Citrine falling to pieces by a bomb. 2 months since President Snow asked me one of the most horrid requests I've ever heard. 2 months since I've declined. 2 months since my own mother was killed.

And yet all of those things seem to come back at me, through everything, and it's even worse in my dreams. I'm alone now, I have no one. President Snow then asked me if I wanted to reconsider, saying if I refuse this time he will kill Mags. Mags, all she has done for me, and what I've seen them do to my mother, I can't submit her to that. So I said I would think about it.

Mags has been trying to coax me out of the house-she is my only family left- and trying to get me to do the things I once loved. I can't remember anything I love anymore; it has been stripped away from me ever since I entered the Games. Maybe even before that when my brother and father were killed in that boating accident. I have no family left, the only person I consider family is Mags.

The most I do each day is wander around the house aimlessly, sitting in my bathtub filled with water, looking out at the sea behind the Victor Village, and then think of the horrors I saw in the Games. I sometimes wonder what Topaz or Lily would say to me now, if they saw me in this state. Topaz would most likely slap me and yell at me to get up. Lily would gently coax me to do things, bit by bit, until my life was back in place.

The thought makes me smile. Almost.

And it's only until a nightmare of Topaz's death that brings me back. I always have nightmares, each night, always of the Games or seeing that tape of my mother, beaten to a bloody pulp and finally shot in the head. Of course I've seen nightmares of Topaz's death along with Lily's, those are the most reoccurring ones along with the last fight by the Cornucopia or seeing the 8 faces of those who I have killed float in front of me.

I have to squeeze my eyes shut and focus hard on something else when I think of this version of the nightmare. I was beside Topaz, speaking with her as she uttered her last breaths. I can't help but notice the arrow pierced through her and the blood slowly draining out of her. She looks at me, her brown eyes desperate and pleading when she asks me to take care of her daughter. I tell her I would.

I have broken that promise to her.

That part of her death had escaped me for so long, even in my dreams. So now here I am, taking my first steps outside since 2 months earlier. The air is hot and humid and the sun is high in the sky. I put my hands in my pockets as I feel a light breeze stir my bronze-colored hair. The bags under my eyes are much more defiant in the sunlight and I have to squint my eyes harshly against the sun.

People look surprised when they see me. I bet they are, I haven't come out since 2 months ago. I don't pay any attention to anyone or anything. I ignore a group of girls pointing at me and giggling and I ignore the sympathetic stares from others. I have one mission and that's it.

When I reach the Community Center, I take one extra moment. I take a deep, collective breath before going through the gates. I see the children run around me, excited that there's a visitor. I feel awkward around them, and give a slight smile before ducking my head and rushing inside.

When I'm inside I can't help but feel like I'm trapped. I come right into a kitchen and there's no air conditioning which makes it even more hot and humid than before. It's then that I see a girl.

She looks to be about my age, but she doesn't have the worn down look most children do in the Community Center. She looks up when I enter, a flash of recognition crossing her face. She has dark brown hair that falls to her shoulders in a classy yet lovely way. She has sea-green eyes, like me, but hers are a bit of a darker shade. A bit of a smile comes up when I meet her gaze and she walks over, head held high and body firm.

"Finnick Odair," She states my name.

I just merely nod to her, wanting to find what I came here for. And she sees that, but makes sure that she makes her presence known.

"I'm Annie Cresta," She says then, and I meet her gaze again. Her hand is extended in a hand shake and I take it, feeling her strong hold on mine, and we release.

"Do you live here?" I ask, my voice is slightly rough from barely talking.

"No," She smiles sadly, "I come here to visit the children, they always need visitors."

I nod slowly, having it take awhile to sink in. The way I process my thoughts have even slowed down, and it's hard to concentrate now a days. I think I may be going insane.

"Are you looking for Aquaria?" Her voice is quiet now, a kind look in her eyes.

I look at her again and say, "Do you know where she is?"

She nods and smiles, "This way."

She leads me over to one of the tables in the kitchen and there I am met with Aquaria. She's young, about the age of 3, maybe 4 which is a stretch. As she hunches over a piece of paper, drawing with a crayon in her hand, her luscious golden hair hangs down in front of her face. Her body is tan, maybe just a tad lighter than her mother. I can't see her face though, because her hair is like a door, not allowing me in.

"Aquaria," Annie whispers, kneeling down beside her, "There's someone here to see you."

When she turns around to face me, still in the chair, she looks so much like her mother that it causes the pain and guilt to rise inside of me again. Her features are fresh, beautiful, like a pool of water. When she tucks a lock of her golden hair behind her ear, it reminds me of all the times Topaz did that in the arena. Their faces are so similar it's scary. Her body is similar to Topaz's also-strong but yet having a delicate feature to it also. She has that determined look Topaz always wore and the only thing that seems to separate them are her eyes. Instead of the warm brown her mother had, she has a deep blue color, just like the color of water.

"Are you Finnick?" She then speaks, and even her voice sounds like her mother's. It is more innocent and quiet, but yet again that determination always rings in it.

"Yes," I kneel down to her height like Annie did, "Yes, I'm Finnick."

"You knew my mother?" She then asks.

"Yes," I answer, trying hard to be strong, for her.

"You were with her, in the Games?" She then asks. It's hard to imagine that a girl this young understands it, and I now see how intelligent she really is.

"Yes," I answer again.

"You were with her, when she died?"

This takes me longer to answer, because it's so difficult to even admit to myself that she's dead. "Yes."

She pauses then, biting her bottom lip. I'm sure she has watched the Games, she is old enough now to do so. She must remember everything, even the admittance of Topaz that she had a daughter. Did she wonder if it was her? Since they shared the last name? Or did she wait until her thoughts were confirmed when her mother spoke her name to me?

It was then that she puts her hand over her mouth, a choking sound escaping her. I see tears fill her eyes then and she leaps towards me. She wraps her arms around my neck and begins to sob, her head cradled in between my neck and shoulder. I'm shocked at first, but then I slowly wrap my arms around her, holding her tightly like a father would do. And it takes a little bit for me to realize it is not Topaz, but her daughter.

As I hold her, I look over at Annie who has a sad smile on her face. Her eyes are gentle and warm and she doesn't try to push as we share this moment together. She can obviously see my own pain reflected in my eyes, for she gives me a reassuring nod.

We stay like that for a while, until Aquaria finally pulls away. She sniffles a bit and Annie rubs her back. She wipes the tears from her eyes and looks down at her feet. It's then that I remember the picture.

"What did you draw?" I ask, my own voice just a mere whisper.

She sniffs again and takes it, handing it to me as she says, "A picture of my mother…and you."

I hold the picture in my hand, looking at it as my mind processes it. It's obviously drawn by a child's hand, but the picture is nearly right. It's so right, that I almost find myself crying again. The picture is of Topaz and me, in the forest on the night she told me about Aquaria. Both of us are in our sleeping bags and leaning against our own trees. We both hold vines as we make the nets and both of us are smiling.

"It's beautiful," Is all I manage to say, because I'm finding it hard to control my emotions.

"Thank you," She whispers, "I want you to keep it."

"Thank you," I say in return, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "I'm sure your mother would like this too."

"I wish I met her," She whimpers.

"So do I," I take her in for another hug, "So do I."

I stay all day as Aquaria shows me what life is like here, and what she thought of the Games, of her mother. Annie comes with us, making sure we're alright. I enjoy her company though, I think she understands what both me and Aquaria are going through. I finally say goodbye to Aquaria, telling her I'll see her in the morning before I walk outside with Annie.

"I'm really glad you came," She says as we reach the gate, "After a while I was thinking you would never come."

"I've been going through some…things," I say, trying not to show how guilty I am for not showing up.

"You're here now," She says, obviously seeing my guilt, "That's all that matters."

I pause before asking, "Is there any chance-"

"That you can take her?" She guesses, then shakes her head, "No, not until she's 18, since you're technically not her family."

"Will you-"

She finishes my question again, "Take care of her when you're not here? Of course."

I smile a bit, "Thanks, Annie. I mean, for everything."

"You're welcome," She says, returning the smile, "When are you coming over tomorrow?"

"I don't' know," I shrug my shoulders, "If I can get Mags to come with me it might be a bit later."

"That's ok," She smiles, "All that matters is that you're coming to see her." She then pauses as she asks, "Do you think we'll be able to hang out afterwards? Talk?"

I smile a bit more and answer, "Yeah, I think so."

Her smile grows wider also as she says, "See you tomorrow, Finnick Odair."

"See you," I murmur, before turning my back and leaving.

I now start to think of President Snow's deal. I now realize how crucial it is for me to agree to this. But I must, I must do this, or else they could do the same thing they did to my mother to Mags, to Aquaria, even to Annie. I couldn't do that, I'm not going to do that. So I'll have to agree, no matter how horrid it is.

I wonder how my life would've turned out if I never went into the Games. Possibly the same thing my mother and I were planning; becoming a fisherman, have a wife, children, a nice and quiet life. That has been stripped away from me now, because of the Games. But, I know that I can make the best out of it, and that means taking care of Mags, visiting Aquaria, and talking with Annie. I know I can make the best out of my life, no matter how long I live.

And it is then, when I'm walking home, that I see something that brings up the fire of hope inside of me, that assures me that everything will be alright, and that one day, it will all be worth it.

Because sitting up on a tree, singing the melody to a song, is nothing other than a Mockingjay.

_**To Be Continued…**_

**A/N: And now his life will continue on, and though I may not be writing an addition to this, you all know what happens to poor Finnick, Annie and Mags. But they are free from the Games, all three of them, and Finnick lives on, in his own child. **


End file.
